Between Dreams and Reality
by Incantrix
Summary: An exciting Ryoko centered story that takes place in Tenchi OVA! Will she survive? Please R&R! Complete fict now available!
1. Peaceful Interruptions

Disclaimer:  
  
All right everyone. Tenchi Muyo! is the are property of AIC and Pioneer. Tenchi Muyo! and all its characters were created by Masaki Kajishima. The author of this fan fiction therefore only owns the writings. This copyright is 2001 under Devin A. Brown.  
  
Ahem: I don't have any money right now, so don't sue me. Besides, this has been kinda fun... ^_^ You do want me to write more, don't you?  
  
C&C to: incantrix@dreamclouds.com  
  
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Between Dreams and Reality  
  
by Incantrix  
  
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Chap 1 – Peaceful Interruptions  
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The irony of life is that it is lived forward but understood backward.  
- Soren Kierkegaard  
  
  
  
Peaceful, but not for long. He could never get any sleep! Didn't I just put my head down on my pillow? Tenchi thought. I'm just exhausted and my bones are tired.  
  
Then is this a dream or is it reality? Was it sitting at breakfast one average morning, drinking some tea and watching? Watching those two girls fight before my eyes, all the time, he just couldn't control himself anymore. Sometimes, he'd try to separate them. Lately, he would lurk away and withdraw from the scene.  
  
It's those scenes he dreaded the most. Fighting like the noble family and pirate they are, one of them was going to have to change their stripes or they would drive the passion's away.  
  
A switch to another scene. For every morning, it was like regular clockwork. Maybe she would forget. Tenchi wondered, she can be so lazy with chores and cleaning the house, but to miss his eyes opening...alas, it wouldn't be long now...  
  
  
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Slowly, undaunted, Tenchi left his unconscious self and emerged into the real world. He refused to open his eyes to the sunlight that streamed through his window. He could tell it was very early, for the low arching sun had reflected off the waxed floor reflecting perfectly into his eyes.  
  
"Tenchi..." he heard softly in the distance, from somewhere behind his white bedroom wall. It was a soulful voice, a caring voice, the voice that watched over him. He knew that voice all so well.  
  
"Uuggh..." All he could do was stick his pillow over his head. Yesterday, it was hot tea that Sasami had so carefully crafted, it was shame it ended up in his lap, halfway down his pants, burning between his legs. Wow, it still hurts down there. He could never look at tea the same way.  
  
Ever since she made the BIG deal the first time he got up in the morning, he couldn't shake her. He tried sleeping outside, but she tracked his down with a little help from Ryo-ohki on a leash. Damn, that little furball could sniff him out for miles. He tried sleep-hiding in the storage sheds where the carrots are kept and Sasami found him instead, gathering vegetables for breakfast. He even retreated to the shrine. It was great sleeping until grandfather showed up and ran him through double sessions of practice before his first meal. Close to giving up, he surrendered to fate.  
  
"Tenchi...my darling," reverberated throughout the room, as Ryoko teleported and appeared above him. The cyan haired demon was very excited that it was morning, indeed!  
  
"Don't you have someone else to bother?" whined a tired Tenchi. The conversation was already on the top of his tongue, already programmed to go off.   
  
"Oh no Tenchi, for it is morning and I want to see you" as Ryoko batted her eyes lids and smiled like an innocent schoolgirl. "Now rise and shine."   
  
Why does it have to be every morning, Tenchi thought. When was the last time I got some decent rest around here? The simple please of sleeping a little late would be nice. After all, grandfather had noticed how sluggard he's had been in cleaning off the steps yesterday. At least he's giving me the morning off.   
  
But he just couldn't take any more interruptions. Pain cascaded down his back. The fall harvesting season meant pulling up carrots from the ground, for more than a couple of hours a day. Ah, he thought, to grow some other vegetables, like tomatoes.   
  
But this was for once, his Sunday to rest. And that meant no troubles, especially early morning ones. And for once, he was real tired of it. Actually, sick of it. Couldn't stand it...  
  
"Ryoko!" commanded Tenchi. He heaved his covers off his bed. Ryoko, surprised at Tenchi's sudden movements, quickly disappeared into the floor.  
  
"Ewww...I've never seen you so aroused in the morning, Tenchi. How about some early fun where we..." Ryoko quietly reappeared with her mouth over Tenchi's ear and started whispering the rest of her rather perverted thoughts into his mind.  
  
"Cut it out! I am not your plaything to be fooled around with as you see fit!" Tenchi had not totally pulled himself out of bed, instead he used his covers to fend himself away from Ryoko.  
  
"But I'm just so..." Ryoko could no longer keep her words in coherent sentences "in to you..." She was delightfully twirling her finger against Tenchi's shirt. "How can I help it if that's how I feel?"  
  
"Ryoko, we've had this talk before." In fact, he never really told Ryoko about the morning wake ups, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. The lack of sleep and the button pushing by Ryoko had finally driven his mental state to the edge.   
  
Tenchi wanted to yell at her, call her off and away from him. Instead, his mind turned to better judgment of the situation. Ignoring Ryoko, he quickly tucked himself back into a curled sleeping position. "I need my space! Can't you just leave me...alone?" In defiance, he buried his head in his pillows.  
  
"Fine. But what if I wasn't here, Tenchi?"  
  
Now that was an interesting question. But Tenchi didn't have to think, he just wanted to sleep.   
  
  
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Ayeka and Mihoshi were hanging around the base of the stairs, for a Sunday they were both up rather early in the morning. They had already seen Noboyuki go off to work, something about some 'blasted' project under his breath due on his bosses desk by the next morning. Yosho had already left to the shrine. The front door during their exit was left wide open, letting in the fresh air and morning sun into the Masaki house. It certainly was peaceful time.  
  
No matter how I compare the beauty Jurai, Ayeka thought, it sometimes pales to the morning sunshine of this temporary home. Jurai had been so maintained for hundreds of years that it indeed was a very beautiful place. Jurdain trees were always in such noble places, countless courtyards of shrubs and flowers; it gave the planet a bit of artificial feel. Somehow, it had lost the sense of soil, home-ness. Being planet bound on Earth was a nice return indeed. The sight of a runaway squirrel gathering nuts for the winter only confirmed the presence of nature.   
  
Sasami was exiting the kitchen with a fresh batch of tea, morning biscuits and jelly. The cabbit Ryo-ohki had made herself comfortable in her usual spot on top of Sasami's head.   
  
"Some tea, Mihoshi?" asked Sasami, holding the tray carefully with both hands, especially when she was around the GP officer.  
  
"Thank you, Sasami," answered Mihoshi to a morning cup. "When are you going to show me the secrets to making such good tea...yummmmm."   
  
"Miya." Sasami just smiled at the comment, and let Ryo-ohki do the talking for her today. She had just poured her older sister's cup when their peaceful morning was suddenly over.  
  
"Tenchi!!" bellowed upstairs from Ryoko.   
  
"Get out!" from Tenchi.   
  
Another "Tenchi..." from Ryoko.   
  
From there, a succession of screen door slams and other choice curse words.  
  
When Ayeka had seen Tenchi yesterday, he in fact looked tired. Taking care of four ladies (and one very hungry cabbit!) under one roof had been too much for poor Tenchi, and he needed a day off. Actually, she was surprised that Tenchi had not accompanied his grandfather to the shrine, but alas, Yosho had made no comment on Tenchi's absence.  
  
Ryoko teleported downstairs to near the front door with her head much lower than usual, swinging the open door shut in disgust.   
  
"He doesn't want to see me." Ryoko sniffed after her statements, the rest of the group could see Ryoko's eyes were rather red-lined and puffy. "He actually told me to get out..."  
  
Ayeka was amazed that Tenchi had made such a statement, especially to Ryoko. She thought that it was about time Tenchi had put his foot down on something. The less than stellar energy and the lack of sleep could even have sharpened his tongue.   
  
However, noticing a moment, Ayeka did not waste any time. She dove right into her favorite sparring partner. "Miss Ryoko, why don't you leave Tenchi alone?"   
  
Ryoko shot back, ready to defend herself. "Why, so you can have him for yourself?" Ryoko did not like Ayeka's line of questioning one bit. She hovered up a step on the stairs to get a better look over her opposition's head.   
  
"Did you every think Lord Tenchi would be tired?" injected back Ayeka.   
  
"Perhaps of you, spoiled princess." Ryoko was laying it on pretty thick.  
  
"Or you, monster woman!" Ayeka was getting her emotions charged up for an early morning battle. Blue sparks flew into the air, ready to land on opponents.  
  
"Oh really, well, we'll just see about that." Ryoko made a grab for the tea serving kit that Sasami had passed around. "Well, I'm bringing him breakfast!"  
  
Ayeka was ready but not fully prepared. "Oh, we'll just see about that. When was the last time you made food, even for yourself!" Ayeka seized the other part of the tray while poor Sasami held on for dear life.  
  
"Perhaps I could bring Tenchi some breakfast?" questioned in the other princess. Sasami was trying her best to break up the morning argument to no avail. "I spent a lot of time making these fresh jams."  
  
Meanwhile, Mihoshi had taken a few morning biscuits for herself and was helping herself to more contents on the tray as well. "Oh! Is that the carrot jelly you made?" she piped.  
  
Sasami, desperate to alter the situation, changed the subject gleefully. "YES! I made it-"  
  
"Miyaaaa!" Ryo-ohki had heard the magic word 'carrot' and charged for the tray.  
  
**SMASH**   
  
Piping hot tea, fresh biscuits, sticky carrot jelly, and one furry Ryo-ohki went flying.  
  
"Ryoko!" screamed Ayeka.   
  
"WAAAAAA!!! Do you know how hard it is to get this stuff out of my hair!" yelled Mihoshi.  
  
"Ryoko! Ayeka! Oh both of you!" Sasami stomped.  
  
"I think I'll take a walk..." commented Ryoko as she shyly dematerialized through the floor.  
  
  
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Washu had been working on eleven projects, at least two could affect the Earth and another one could damage the local star cluster. Still, she wasn't satisfied with the scope of her current projects, they seemed oh, so unimportant. She couldn't deal with an experiment without it affecting the universe at least once week. Oh well, nothing like another normal day of science.  
  
She had been up for at least three days now without sleep, working on her latest project. Even though she promised Funaho she wouldn't build any more Ryo-ohki's, she was fooling around with some imported Mass and planning another furry creature. You know, Ryo-ohki could use some friends, she though.  
  
"miya.."   
  
"Ahhh, I was just thinking of you..." Washu turned her head in the direction of her furry creation. "Oh, and what happened to you?"  
  
"mew..." Poor Ryo-ohki's fur was covered head to toe with wet biscuit crumbs.  
  
"Oh, you poor thing!" Washu clicked a few button on one of her keyboards. "I've got the perfect fix!"   
  
Clicking noises started Ryo-ohki from the lab ceiling. Suddenly, a metallic giant arm came down and grabbed the cabbit before she could escape.  
  
"Miya?"  
  
"Don't worry, it's just my cabbit washing machine." as Washu could answer any more gleefully. It didn't matter, for a battle-tested cabbit was plenty scared.  
  
"Miya! Miya! Meyaa!"  
  
"Come on! It's perfectly safe for naughty crystals like yourself!" replied a reassuring Washu. She left her chair and walked over to a suspended Ryo-ohki.  
  
The robotic arm proceeded to drop Ryo-ohki in a open chute from the floor. The chute was labeled with and signs.   
  
"Meya!...." howled the falling Ryo-ohki. For the next few minutes, scared and tortured 'miya' sounds echoed behind Washu's laboratory walls.  
  
*Bing*  
  
From the ceiling, our reluctant cabbit hero dropped from another chute landing safely onto the floor. Yes, she was clean, bright, and bushy-tailed. In fact, with a little too much bushy-tailed. Her poor fur had an extreme case of 'fuzzy' from Washu's dryer cycle.  
  
Washu was in ultra cute mode by this time. "Awe, is my little furball going to be ok?"  
  
"mew..." answered back the tired little cabbit.  
  
  
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Ryoko had quietly phased behind Washu and her terminal with her head was facing down. was the thought in her head from Washu. It was only the link in her mind that alerted Washu to Ryoko's presence.   
  
Ryoko was now leaning her head high on the glass, her breath visible in the reflection. "I'm lonely..." Her Ryo-ohki, seeing one look at the space pirate, ran into one of the corners of the lab. She did not feel like getting another washing today.  
  
"And..." chimed Washu as she continued to type away on her holographic keyboard.  
  
"Butt-out..." Ryoko sighed.  
  
"You didn't come down here for the scenery, for I have none." Washu had stopped typing at her terminal and was up and about. "I know why your down here."  
  
Ryoko was going to have shut out Washu more to her feelings. Its bad enough the first time they met, Washu had her pegged for her feeling about Tenchi. In closing off her mental link, it also cut her train of thought. "How can I...ahhh...errr..." For once, Ryoko was without words.  
  
Washu was now standing intently behind Ryoko, whispering into her ear. "How about a bath, we haven't had any mother-daughter talks in a while."  
  
"Washu.." Ryoko's head was still buried beneath her upright arms and the glass wall.   
  
"I'll wash your back?"  
  
"Washu!" Ryoko pointed out from her manmade cave.  
  
"I'll bring some sake?" At this point, Washu was really enjoying this.  
  
"WASHU!!!" hissed Ryoko. Oh yeah, Ryoko reflected, like some sake is open my trap to you, Washu.   
  
"Come on, I'm not an idiot; after all, I am the greatest mom in the universe." Washu was now smiling and really quite proud of herself.  
  
Ryoko couldn't believe her ears. "Why you, how could you say..." A bit of reality hit Ryoko, and after a quick stutter she knew at that moment there was no choice, no words to describe her feelings. The emotional burden of this morning consumed her heart. Ryoko's whole body lacked its needed strength and she fell into a jumbled heap on the floor.   
  
Dripping with emotional loss, she was close to tears. "I...I...I just can't deal with Tenchi anymore," sniffed Ryoko. "He doesn't care about me, he doesn't feel..."  
  
Washu put her hand on her daughter's cyan mane and combed her hair down. "There, there, my little Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko continued after a long pause, sinking her body into her lap even closer to the ground. "It's that blasted Ayeka, she is up to something, I just know it."  
  
Washu, in response to trying to cheer her daughter up, was definitely not letting Ryoko off the hook. "As I suspected for some time."  
  
Ryoko looked with her head up, rather horrified. "What! Are you kidding me? You've never said there was a chance that Tenchi and Ayeka would be together...are you sure?"  
  
"Well..." Washu was still thinking about the point as she put her fingers on her chin.  
  
Ryoko had now picked herself off the floor and was alert as a bear near honey. She grabbed onto Washu's collar and stared into her eyes. "Washu, you have better tell me the truth."  
  
"Let's see," Washu managed to slip quickly away from Ryoko's grip. She turned to a new terminal that phased into existence. A few lines of code popped on the screen. After a few seconds of keystrokes and observations...  
  
*Bleep*   
  
The computer binged out a response like it had a dozen biscuits ready in the open. "According to this, Tenchi and Ayeka have a 12.78 percent chance of getting married," flatly reported Washu.  
  
"WHAT!! I'm going to kill that hussy Ayeka!" Ryoko's eyes just let up with energy as her hands threatened to latch onto the next poor passerby.  
  
*Bleep*   
  
"Whew, the odds just jumped to 13.19 percent, I wonder what caused that?"   
  
Ryoko was just plain furious. "Well! I'll show HER..." Ryoko had pushed Washu away from the computer and was grabbing the side edges with rather frightening energy.  
  
"Now take it easy..." Washu chimed in. Damn, Washu thought, why did I have to use a regular terminal instead of the one that just phases in and out of existence?  
  
Ryoko had managed to get a pretty good grip on the terminal, and with all that that extra emotional fuel that Washu supplied, Ryoko let it out. After all, all that energy wasn't just going to disappear.  
  
*Cracckkk*  
  
Ryoko had managed to rip the terminal off its platform. She raised the defeated screen like a championship trophy in the air. "So, what do you think of those odds right now." Then, she heaved the terminal into the corner, smashing it into pieces of useless metal and glass.  
  
"Feel better?" asked Washu. She was worried for her daughter and not so much for the terminal anymore.   
  
Ryoko was still breathing heavily from here so recent actions. "Not really..." She sighed as the emotional fire quickly left her eyes.   
  
"Ryoko..." pleaded Washu.   
  
Ryoko had already turned around and had started to sulk slowly to the exit door. "...I'm sorry, Mom." she answered back, sincerely as possible.  
  
Washu chimed in merrily, "Little Ryoko, can you do me a favor?" Ryoko shook her head in approval. "Can you clean up this mess?"   
  
Ryoko quickly rematerialized and clutched the broom and dustpan kit that Washu was so brightly holding up. "Err...sure." Ryoko didn't have the heart to transport herself to the scene, instead she shuffled off to the back of the lab.   
  
"I can't totally predict the future," answered Washu.   
  
But I'm sure hell going to sure try, thought Washu.  
  
"Uh-huh," sighed Ryoko.   
  
"Your going to be all right, Ryoko," explained Washu. Ryoko heard her mom, but she could not answer for her heart was too low.  
  
  
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This is unbelievable, Ryoko thought, that I have to clean up my own mess. Damn that Washu, she can be so right sometimes. I know, I don't usually open up that type of stuff to her, but everyone else is just pissed mad at me right now. Everyone else. At least she understands me. At least a bit.  
  
Ryoko had thrown the terminal into a dark corner of the lab. A sign above one of the keyboards have been labeled 'Dimensional Tuner' but Ryoko really didn't pay any attention too much to her surroundings.  
  
"Hey Washu, are there any lights around here? I can't find some of the glass shards on the floor," questioned Ryoko.  
  
"Just flip the switch on the wall, dear," answered back Washu.  
  
I guess she means this one on the left wall, Ryoko thought. She turned it on and some overhead green & blue lights filtered some useable light onto the floor.   
  
Why does that Ayeka have to be so impossible, thought Ryoko. She doesn't see it my way at all, I just can't understand it. Why can't I just be with Tenchi?   
  
What is wrong with me anyway? This morning was just unbelievable. Why did Tenchi throw me out of his room this morning? She took a quick sniff of herself. All she could smell was carrot jam. Doesn't he want to see me? Does he even care about me anymore?  
  
Ryoko's shoulders just shuddered under her own convictions. Ryoko had just a few pieces of glass left to sweep up. Well, that will do. Now, where's that dustpan...  
  
  
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Washu was already busy into her next experiment when she noticed the hissing of fresh energy and the colored lights from the far edge of the lab. She turned her stool and attention around. "Be careful in there, Ryoko!"  
  
"Huh?!" Ryoko lifted her head up from near the ground. At the same time, the pole of the broom pushed a switch up on the main control panel.  
  
Oohhh, that can't be good, deliberated Washu. Little Ryoko just pulled a Mihoshi. Oh well, I better check her for blond genes...  
  
Washu quickly jumped off her chair and ran toward her daughter as fast as her little legs could carry her. It was evident that she was not going to make it to her destination in time.  
  
Too late! Must reach the portable augmenters before...  
  
Because above Ryoko's head, the great machine had awakened from its slumber. Above her head, a blue and green sphere piped with life-giving power and came to life. Infused with energy, the tuner fulfilled its purposeful existence by setting up its possible matrix of variables based upon its input scan.  
  
  
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Damn it, he never did answer my question this morning. What if I wasn't here, Tenchi? What would do without me?   
  
Yea, what if I didn't exist, or I wasn't known to you, Tenchi. After all, what if Tenchi had never released me from the cave that Yosho had sealed me in? What if my mind-  
  
*Click*  
  
*Whoosh*  
  
"Washu!, did you say-" said a mystified Ryoko.  
  
Washu was definitely yelling from the far side of the lab. With her arms flapping around like a chicken, Ryoko couldn't make head or tails on what was going on.  
  
The green and blue lights that were previously above Ryoko's head were now shining and focusing into a small laser beam onto Ryoko's forehead. A small golden metallic sphere area dropped from the ceiling and focused its camera module at Ryoko.  
  
"Huh? What is it?" Ryoko was startled by the movement above her. If it's Washu trying to put me in another trap, though Ryoko, I'm not going to talk to her for a month.  
  
"Ryoko! Before it syncs-" yelled Washu.  
  
Lights and screens activated on the controls had now filled the small corner brightly. Energy wildly sparked and unleashed itself into the air. All of a sudden, white fire engulfed Ryoko.  
  
"Aaachh!.." Ryoko could see the golden sphere monitor the energy cocoon around her body. The grip of power on her was unbelievable. She tried to activate her sword to knock out the transmitters from above, instead it reacted with the energy, drained away and died.  
  
"Ryoko!" screamed an hysterical Washu, as she saw her daughter jumble over in pain. Tidal waves of energy were now cascading out of the corner of the lab, interfering with the local continuum. Glass shattered. Tables and chairs moved by invisible hands flipped over. Chaos ensued.   
  
Ryoko saw Washu ripple in waves like a bad mirror reflection. Her face became distorted and pinched, her hair became drawn out as well as least six or seven feet behind her head. A final undulation and Washu disappeared at a drop of a hat. Seconds later, the white energy built to a crescendo that claimed Ryoko's consciousness.  
  
  
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Ryoko awoke to darkness.  
  
"What...where...Washu!...get this thing off of me!" Again, she could not move. Pressure was building down on all sides, a strong vice had her body held tight.   
  
The pain was almost unbelievable. Ryoko was half expecting to have Washu rip the blindfold off, where Ryoko would find herself strapped in for dear life. "Ryo-ohki, come on, where are you hiding...now be a good girl and for six carrots GET ME OUT OF HERE!"  
  
No response.  
  
"AYEKA!!!" Ryoko shrieked.  
  
Nothing. Ryoko turned her thought pains away at the crisis at hand and was trying to figure out how the hell she ended up in the predicament. It had to be Mihoshi's fault, for Ryoko had no one else to blame.  
  
"Tenchi..." A single tear dropped from Ryoko's eye. Her pain quickly turned to despair at the thought of losing her mother and her home.  
  
Strange, Ryoko thought, if I was bonded in Washu's lab, then I wouldn't feel the tear down the side of my neck, would I. Where the hell am I then?  
  
A soft breeze had started to blow into her face as a background glow embossed an image in front of her. Ryoko then saw it: a perfect reflection of herself about twenty paces away. The detail matched perfectly from her soft hair spikes to her plunging neckline. However, when she blinked her eyes, there was no reaction from the reflection. With her eyes closed and her head tilted lower, Ryoko inferred that 'thing' could not be a reflection of herself.   
  
"Hey! Let more out of here..." Surprising, she did not get an answer to her request. "You two-timing phony." The image came closer and closer. Wind currents grew fiercer which ruffed even Ryoko's stiff hair.   
  
"So what are you doing to me, don't you think duplicating me has been done enough!!?" Her body double was now on top of her. It flipped around in a quick turn until Ryoko faced the back of her head.   
  
Hey, I never noticed the back of my head before...wow, I really do have bad hair days. No wonder Tenchi refuses to give me backrubs.  
  
Her mind wandered as her body was about to merge with her new twin. Light cascaded from the edge of her body until the images were matched. Then, energy subsided until there was only darkness once again. With nothing else to see, Ryoko drifted back into subconscious.  
  
  
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Ryoko awoke from her darkness to a spring morning. She was looking up at the sky, her body flatly lying on the dry ground. The sun was early in the heavens, it was just getting ready to pierce a fairly high cloud. She could hear the trees sway in the winds and dry leaves tumble down the steps. She was back on Earth. She was home again.  
  
"Tenchi...where are you..." Ryoko whispered to herself.  
  
Her mind was a total fog, the memory had been temporary put on hold. No matter, for Ryoko knew she had to find him.  
  
Her fine ears picked up the sweeping sound of a broom. Ah-ha! thought Ryoko, Tenchi is at the shrine sweeping the front patio. She quickly took off in the air up the side of the hill.   
  
Wow, she thought, how quickly I'm flying up the side of the hill. She couldn't believe her inner strength from having just survived that menacing darkness that Washu put her through.   
  
Then she saw him. There he was, in that brown coat with his trusty broom sweeping away at the top steps of the shrine. His image became bigger as she flew up...  
  
"Tenchi!!!"   
  
Unnoticed, Ryoko jumped at him with untapped joy-  
  
Only to find her body to phase right through him.  
  
At that exact moment, her mind cleared-  
  
"NOOOO!!!!"  
  
For Ryoko knew her physical body was still trapped in that blasted cave.  
  
  
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	2. Death of a Pirate

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============================================  
Chap 2 - Death of a Pirate  
============================================  
  
  
Unbelievable! She tried all her offensive weapons but they didn't have any affect on the physical world. She tried raising a demon spirit but no unearthly soul would obey her commands. All her natural senses were quite dulled, and her conflicting memory was fogged over as well. For Ryoko was now ethereal, there would be no way that she could ever contact her Tenchi.  
  
Tenchi continued to sweep away like nothing had happened. "Tenchi...can't you hear me?" Ryoko spelled out.  
  
Tenchi had now finished most of the patio and started sweeping the steps going down the hill.  
  
"Please...release me..." prayed Ryoko, "come to the cave and let me go free."   
  
Exhausted from her fruitless efforts, Ryoko sat down on the top step watching her Tenchi as he continued his descent down the hill.  
  
Gee, thought Ryoko, it seems like the same kind of fall day that I was in just yesterday. I have no idea-  
  
"Tenchi...where are you..."  
  
That voice!  
  
"Ayeka...what is it?" Tenchi answered back.  
  
"Aaach!!" yelled Ryoko. That damned girl and no one to defend Tenchi from her grip. Meanwhile, I can't do a thing about it because my physical existence isn't here. It just couldn't get any worse right now. And at that thought, Ryoko sulked her shadowy self to sit by the stairs and mope.  
  
"It's time to come back to the house now, Sasami has made breakfast for us..." Ayeka stood there with her head held high and her arms crossed. She seemed a little upset and impatient at Tenchi. It's probably a princess thing, thought Ryoko.  
  
"Ok, I'll be there in a sec, you know how grandfather is."   
  
How did she get here? Ayeka wouldn't be able to track me down if my body was still in that cave. I guess I'll get the rest of the story as I follow them around, hehehe...  
  
But as she flew down the steps following her obsession, an unearthly wind gushed her form up the mountainside back toward the shrine. She tried again, but to no avail. With no alternative, Ryoko sat down and sulked wile she watched Tenchi and Ayeka disappeared from her sight.  
  
Ryoko remembered that without her physical body, she could not travel outside the area of the shrine. Damn, this memory is so hard to keep without my physical body! The cave restored her life energy when she moved and lived in the ethereal plane. She would have to return her ghostly spirit to her body to rest.   
  
"Tenchi..."  
  
It was a late overcast day, the wind kept the air a rather chilly breath. The invisible Ryoko, from her roof position on top of the shrine, looked down at Tenchi, with his brown coat and scarf on. He was busy tending to the fire. She was bored and decided to watch the rest of Masaki household (at least the younger generation) make themselves at home around the fire pit by the shrine.  
  
"Don't you think we need a bit more flame?" asked Mihoshi, kneeling rather close to the fire. "I want mine really roasted," she pleaded.  
  
"Wow! I could eat two or three sweet potatoes today," announced Sasami. "I don't think I've been to so hungry, Tenchi."  
  
"Don't worry Sasami, there are plenty of vegetables for roasting here." said Ayeka as she leaned over the mat that was today's temporary kitchen. "Let's see, we have sweet potatoes, turnips, peppers." Ayeka paused in the middle of her inventory check. "Sasami, didn't you say we had plenty of carrots?"  
  
Sasami looked perplexed at Ayeka's question. "I don't know, but I think we made need them later for some carrot soup or something. I just didn't want to use them up all today. Is that ok?"  
  
Ryoko slapped herself on the head.  
  
Mihoshi giggled. "That's ok, I'll eat them as snacks!"  
  
Tenchi was still poking at the potatoes over the fire. "I think they need at least a few more minutes, Sasami." While fire tending, Tenchi peeked a quick look that Ayeka was intensely looking at him."Ayeka, is something up?"   
  
"Oh, no, Tenchi." She turned away from the rest of the group. "It's just..." and she broke down in a short sob. "Please excuse me..." and Ayeka stood up and ran to the far corner of the court.  
  
Tenchi looked up and watched her run away. "It's been tough on all of us Tenchi," Sasami commented, "with myself, Mihoshi, and Ayeka stranded here for the last three months. We've had no way to contact Jurai or the Galaxy Police."   
  
Mihoshi bumped in, "Ayeka mentioned about going to Kyoto tomorrow for a week to look up some old record in attempt to trace her brother's history. Didn't she tell you?"  
  
"No...she didn't," answered Tenchi, still looking at Ayeka on the far side of the shrine. "Excuse me," and he ran off to Ayeka.  
  
Ayeka had managed to clear up most of her face, thought it still was a bit red when Tenchi came into view. She noticed Tenchi approaching her from behind, but did not turn around.   
  
"Are you all right, Ayeka?"   
  
Sniffling, she answered. "Were not going to be rescued from this backwater planet, are we?"   
  
"Ayeka, you know that's not true. Besides, you have your sister, me, and..." Tenchi had stopped in his tracks when he came to Mihoshi's name. After all, it was Mihoshi's fault that Ayeka and Sasami were stranded here.  
  
"Mihoshi..." answered Ayeka, rather slowly.   
  
"You know, it's not so bad with you here, Ayeka. We have to stick together and be strong about it." Tenchi leaned his hand onto Ayeka's shoulder and turned her around.  
  
Ayeka, quite stocked from Tenchi's actions, looked somberly into Tenchi's eyes. You know he's not royalty, thought Ayeka. But being stranded here left her with little companionship. She looked into Tenchi and saw someone who cared for her. Touched her heart. Stranded here made her decision so much easier.  
  
Rules be damned.   
  
"Tenchi, would you like to escort me back to the fire?" asked Ayeka has she held out her arm.  
  
"Why, yes, I would Ayeka." answered Tenchi as they walked back together to their family and friends.  
  
And Ryoko could only watch as her demon eyes burned hotter than any fire on Earth.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
At times, Ryoko was able to think and feel like a normal person, but time seemed to be flow quickly in spurts. It was like watching a recorded movie that would always be in fast-forward most of the time but slowed down for a few moments so Ryoko could understand those moments of action. Days passed very quickly at the Masaki residence.   
  
Before long, it was spring again. The soft pink flowers from the cherry blossom trees lighted the hill with beauty. The sun was in its usual late in the sky position and was just starting to set.  
  
Tenchi was again sweeping away at the shrine. Ryoko, unable to leave, would watch Tenchi perform his chores. It was a usual ritual that Ryoko would follow him every day. If it wasn't for watching Tenchi, she would be back in her cave.  
  
"Tenchi..." Ryoko whispered on the breath of her lips.  
  
In the last year, Ryoko had been about to piece together the history of her alternate Tenchi. It seems Mihoshi had been passing through the local solar system over a year ago and crash-landed here on Earth; right in front of the Masaki house in fact. Ayeka, answering to Mihoshi's hail of need, came down to rescue her.  
  
When Ayeka came with Sasami, she tried raising Mihoshi's ship with grappler hooks out the of Masaki lake. Quite naturally, an accident ensued, supposedly caused by the pure luck of Mihoshi and something about realigning her cube at the time.   
  
However, six months ago another Galaxy Police (GP) patrol vessel did stop by because of Mihoshi's beacon from her trustworthy cube. But Ayeka did not want to leave right away, the GP had no jurisdiction to evict her and take her home. The GP also gave their fellow officer Mihoshi one of their shuttles. Ryoko overheard the other GP officers snicker and comment they needed a new shuttle, so why not give the old one to Mihoshi to be sacrificed? They laughed and giggled as they wrote off the shuttle as 'lost in combat.' They were sure that Mihoshi would cause its destruction.  
  
When Mihoshi reported in by video transmission, she was surprised to find her next assigned the duties were to watch over the Jurdain 'royals' until they left the Sol system and take them home to Jurdain space.  
  
However, when Sasami had pressed Ayeka into leaving and returning home to Jurai via Mihoshi, Ayeka refused. First, she had found Funaho, Yosho's spaceship tree growing in the woods besides the shrine. Ayeka was now convinced that her brother was still living on Earth. She had managed to spend most of her free time looking for Yosho. She called in every favor in the last six months to remain on Earth and continue her search, but Ryoko was sure that the something else that had made her stay was Tenchi.  
  
Still, she was still not sure if Ayeka had discovered that Tenchi's grandfather was Yosho. Ryoko's mind was usually clouded, but today it was clear to her thoughts as she watched Tenchi sweep the shrine steps.   
  
Lately, Ryoko had grown to talking to Tenchi, even though she knew he could never hear her words. Even talking to Tenchi had helped her spirits improve, then nothing else would matter.  
  
"Tenchi..." Ryoko softly spoke, "I see you every day, in my reality. I know you can't hear me, nor see me. I miss you more than you could possibly realize."  
  
Ryoko turned around and now faced away from Tenchi. "In this personal nightmare I'm in, whether I've created it or not. I don't eat, never sleep, and can only see you a fraction of my time. I cannot die since my body is not alive, but trapped forever in isolation. Most of my continuation is devoid of any sensations. For this existence is worse than death."   
  
"I cannot hold you, touch your soul and feel you. For you, Tenchi, I don't even exist. I have the memories of our life together that I cannot share. I have life that is so untapped. It is only these alternate memories that have enabled me to continue my existence, it is the only shred of sanity I have."  
  
Tenchi had finished sweeping and was now watching the stars come out into the night. His head was now looking up at the heavens.  
  
Ryoko stood behind Tenchi, with her head up as well. Her heart was at last totally distraught and full of raw emotion. "Tenchi, I would do anything to be with you. If it is possible, I have fallen for you once again. Except this is the pain that I have now, never to be with you, Tenchi..."  
  
"Tenchi..." was the yell in the distance.  
  
"What is it, Ayeka?"   
  
"Tenchi, oh, there you are." Ayeka was approaching up the steps. She visibly blushed at the sight of Tenchi and composed herself.   
  
"How is your search coming for Yosho?" asked Tenchi, coyly. He had stopped sweeping quite a while ago but was still held onto the broom handle firmly like a security blanket.   
  
"Honestly, I haven't found any clues for months. From the legend you told me assures he is dead, but his tree Funaho grows right in your backyard," Ayeka sighed. "I don't know if I'll ever find my brother." Ayeka leaned her head down, facing Tenchi yet very much looking at his shoes. "Sasami keeps reminding me every day that we have to return back to Jurai soon. I've called in all of my favors, but father is very insistent and I will have to leave soon."   
  
"Miss Ayeka..." Tenchi made gesture toward Ayeka and she inched closer. "You are more than welcome to come back and visit."  
  
"Tenchi..." delicately swallowed as Ayeka continued. "These past few months have been very therapeutic to my mind. I haven't been happier in years. We've become much more than friends..." Ayeka now paused much more than a second to reflect her thoughts as she reached out and held onto Tenchi's hands.  
  
"Ayeka, life was very quiet here without you and your sister. The memories over that last year have been nothing short of wonderful. But your closeness has been especially welcome, the stories about Jurai and its beauty..." Lost in thought, Tenchi was now squarely looking warmly into Ayeka's eyes.  
  
Standing at the two of them at only inches away, Ryoko was foaming at the mouth, but her mind checked her emotion as she realized that there was nothing she could.  
  
"Oh Tenchi," as Ayeka blushed their moment. After a quick lapse, she continued. "Oh, I have something for you." She fumbled around a bit looking in her pockets.  
  
"Miss Ayeka, you shouldn't have." Whatever it was, Tenchi was definitely looking forward to it.  
  
Ayeka reached into her robe and pulled out a small box. "For you, Tenchi, for before I leave." She reached out and held Tenchi around his arms. "I had it especially made while you were away fishing."  
  
Tenchi proceeded to examine the box. Wrapped in fine brown silk weave, moonlight reflected off of it like a polished mirror. Tenchi's hand movement over the object caused it to quickly open and reveal its contents. Inside was a white golden locket in the irregular shape of a royal Jurdain leaf from a royal tree.   
  
"Ayeka..." He was shocked at the ancient beauty value of her gift.   
  
"Open it." Ayeka proceeded to maneuver the locket in Tenchi's hand until it split open like a book. The inside was even more beautifully gilded with portrait pictures of Tenchi and Ayeka.  
  
"It's beautiful..." Tenchi slowly closed the locket, and pulled on the chain, separating the back clasp while dangling the cord in his hand. In response, Ayeka pulled the ends of the cord with her hands around Tenchi's neck, closing the loop.  
  
"Ayeka..." Tenchi was now very close to Ayeka, and neither of them were blushing anymore. "I don't want you to leave." Tenchi pulled her arms closer, brushed Ayeka's hair aside from her face and kissed her.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
It had been more than a few weeks since she had seen Tenchi and Ayeka on that star-filled night. At first, the first few rounds of tears and sulking had not helped mend her broken heart. Waves and waves of emotions continued to surface. Each time they did, it took her mind longer to recover her sanity, and the emotional scars became that so much harder to heal.  
  
Gradually, Ryoko boiled at her existence as her mind sped up time. She no longer cared to explore the outside life. The cave, in her eyes, was safer than reality. She couldn't move nor take her daily visits to her Tenchi anymore. Nothing was absolutely worse than losing Tenchi to that woman! She had no power that affect the rest of the world.   
  
Only death could save her from her loss, except that wasn't an option. At least seeing Tenchi everyday had lessened the decay of her longing, now her options seemed very limited.  
  
It was after one of her emotional bouts that Ryoko heard noises as the cave shuddered. She instantly recognized the sound from the last time she was released; someone had broken the rock seal of the cave.  
  
Tenchi! thought Ryoko, he's finally come to release me! At once, she threw herself out of her emotional sinkhole and proceeded to fly up the channel to the entrance of her cave.  
  
It was sudden joy for Ryoko. "Tenchi!!...your beauty is here!!...come release me..." announced the hysterical one.  
  
She turned around the corner to find her savior. Indeed, a mysterious shadow that occupied her plane came into the light. And the view of her redeemer could only snatch the warmth from her heart faster than plunging it into ice.   
  
She saw him, that slender figure coming out of the shadows. Ryoko gulped as the many possibilities flashed in her mind. Unfortunately, the past could only frighten her more. And in response, her demon eyes burst into flames as she faced her oppressor once again.   
  
"Kagato!!"   
  
Her voice penetrated every inch and crack of her prison. "How dare you come down here..." Ryoko began to try to power-up her energy and prepare her body for battle. It was only then she realized the delicate predicament she was in.  
  
Kagato viewed his captive pray with familiar distaste. "Ryoko, how unfortunate it is to find you down in such a nasty place. And without your physical dimensional layer, that's quite a disadvantage you have..."  
  
"You have no idea," stomped back Ryoko.  
  
"It's such a shame that we meet under such adverse circumstances...isn't it? A battle with you might be delightful." as Kagato let out a hollow laugh.  
  
Instead of asking Kagato's questions, she threw him another one. "What do you want, Kagato!"   
  
"Where is the master key, Tenchi!? You were calling for it, weren't you? Or do I go down there and destroy that beautiful mummified body of yours; then you'll be doomed to walk the eternal plane forever." Kagato drew his body into the physical plane and cocked his hand as if he was getting ready to fire down the cavern to Ryoko's body.  
  
Flashing her hands like a humming bird, Ryoko broke Kagato's actions long enough to get his attention. "Wait, I know it's here..." She pointed sheepishly to a small wooden house model on the far side of the cave.   
  
"So here we are, you had better not be lying or it will be certain death for you, Ryoko..." He walked over to the model and blew the wood structure from its base, revealing the hidden treasure he desired. "There you are, my key to Jurai's power!"   
  
Now was her chance! Ryoko knew if she channeled her energy through her physical form, it might be enough to 'charge' the key that held her captive. She put her plan into action and executed it with shear cunning.   
  
"Be sure to pull very hard Kagato, you need remove it from its rusted sleeve." Ryoko pointed out, massing her own energy at the same time.   
  
"Oh, I will." Kagato made a quick and firm grip of the sword. Energy sparked around the ancient handle. Undaunted for the immense power, Kagato gritted his teeth and reached harder to pull the sword hilt out of solid rock with all his might.  
  
"Aaarrrgh...!!" screamed Kagato as he removed what was left of his hand. The smell of burnt flesh and vapors surrounded the scene as the sword hilt echoed and fell from its holder onto the hard rock floor.  
  
"Ryoko..." as Kagato grimaced in pain, examining his left stump. "What have you done, my former obedient?"  
  
She smiled at his pain. "You fool, don't you know only the Jurai royal family can wield the master key?" Ryoko's image glowed with power. It had indeed been a very successful trick. "And, for your effort and troubles, you have mistakenly released me from my bond!"  
  
Kagato, too stunned from the electrical shock, just stood in silence as light from the far in cavern shined up into the room. It came from deep within the Earth, illuminating and blinding his sight. At a moments notice, Ryoko's physical mummy appeared quickly like water from an untapped dam. It hastily plunged into Ryoko's ethereal form, merging and swirling into a hot yellow ball of energy.   
  
"It will mean the quick and certain death to you, Kagato!" spoke his new opponent. It had instantly manifested within sight of Kagato, striking him down. He screamed in pain as his physical form ignited and burned like kindling lit with a match. His material form swiftly struck the ground with a thud, dissolving and disappearing.  
  
Kagato was no longer in sight, Ryoko knew it wasn't that easy, he was still very much alive. His voice rained down as the cavern shook from the forces of unleashed energy.   
  
"Ryoko! I will be back...only, much sooner than you think..." and at that, his presence disappeared.   
  
The cavern shuddered as multiple boulders started to fall and block the way. In immediate response, Ryoko shot herself out of the cave with such raw energy that it lit up the hillside for miles.   
  
There was only one thought on the space pirate's mind now that she had been freed from her imprisonment. "Tenchi..." she whispered to herself, "I'm coming home."   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
It must have been very late. The moon had already set earlier that night and clouds seemed the hide the stars. Still, the fresh air from outside the window kept him awake.  
  
Tenchi turned his body to the other side of the bed. Tonight, of all nights, he just couldn't sleep. Yea, sure, he was happy; he had met Ayeka and their relationship was entering very serious time. And having Sasami around had been wonderful, her innocence and laughter would break up the wonderful silent moments he and Ayeka had. And Mihoshi, even though they weren't stranded once her fellow GP rescued them sometime later; she had been also been reassigned to watch the Sol area of space as well as watch over Ayeka and Sasami. It was welcome 'protection.' Mihoshi was also waiting for her longtime partner Kiyone to join her in her reassignments, but somehow the paperwork had been 'misfiled.'  
  
Yet, not all was right in the world right now. He continued his deep thoughts as his finger twirled the Jurai locket now around his neck. Tenchi remembered grandfather has been very distracted and shy with the other girls in the house now. He spent most of his time leaving early just after sunrise for the shrine. Ayeka would continue to hound him about questions from past history of legends and myths, but so far grandfather had continued to dodge her questions.   
  
Still, tonight was especially quiet until he swore he heard noises from the far side of the wall. Tenchi wondered if Sasami was having another bad dream and walking around the house. Or if Mihoshi had snuck downstairs for some 'snacks.'   
  
Instead, from the far end of his bedroom, a tall womanly shadowy figure emerged. He conjectured the noises were from his late visiting caller.   
  
Ayeka! She must be trying to visit me late tonight, Tenchi reflected. Cute, she's trying to sneak up on me. Yes, he shared experiences with Ayeka, but he never felt like they were fully connecting. He longed to know what her inner feelings were for him.   
  
Tenchi contemplated how they recently confessed to each other, but her coy nature prevented her from showing many of her overtly emotions. He guessed Ayeka was trying something out of character for her. Deciding to play along and pretend to be sleeping, he guessed that times were looking up after all.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
It was so easy to sneak into the house she hadn't been in quite some time, remembered Ryoko. Now, down the wall, thought the screen...ah, there he is. Tenchi! There was the love of her life. Sleeping like an angel. It was time to make him hers. The eternity they had been separated had been too long – so, so, much longer than the 700 years she had been trapped earlier.   
  
Ryoko looked at him over as she crept quietly closer to him. Tenchi! She knew this was wrong, but she had to see him, hold him. Her nightmare was over, it was time to take a turn for the better. Now leaning heavily over the sleeping Tenchi, she was very close to his heart. She whispered, oh so softly, "Tenchi..."  
  
"Yes, my dear..." Playing his part and still keeping his eyes closed, his arms surrounded the warm body of his late night caller.   
  
"Tenchi...you don't know how much I've missed you..." tenderly spoke Ryoko. She had to not just hold him, but touch him. The year had been so long, that she just needed to feel his flesh once again.  
  
Tenchi felt his lover's hair and the rather soft spikes on top of her head. Ouch! Tenchi guessed Ayeka was having a very bad hair night. But she is here, after all. Without questioning nor giving too many hints away and still keeping his eyes closed, Tenchi nestled closer to his 'Ayeka.'  
  
Ryoko in response pressed her body into Tenchi, arousing his spirits a bit more. Looking down at this lines, his shadow, it was pure fantasy. How many times had she seen him sleeping like an angel. And for all those times, not a move by her. Except today.   
  
She could at last feel his breath on the nape of her neck. Now was the closest she had ever been to her newfound love. Her heart beat a touch faster. The air seemed a lot warmer. Ryoko felt her senses becoming acutely aware and they dictated her actions. They gave her the courage that she needed. And fulfilling her longtime wish, Ryoko leaned her head ever so closer and slowly kissed him.  
  
Aggressive, isn't she, thought Tenchi. It was not soft and gentle like his memories before, but a strong, enchanting kiss. Captivating it was. A kiss of passion, of heavenly memories. And it lasted an eternity. It was perfect.  
  
Under his breath Tenchi whispered "Ayeka..." They ever so gradually separated from each other, as they did he leisurely opened his eyes. And instead of his love Ayeka, his sights saw the beauty of a woman who he had never seen in his life.  
  
"aaACK!?" Tenchi's voice escalated. He couldn't say much else, his mouth was too ajar.  
  
"Ssshhhh..." whispered Ryoko.  
  
"What!" said Tenchi, but it was stuck in his throat.  
  
"Tenchi..." toned a coy Ryoko.  
  
"WHO ARE YOU!!"   
  
"HEY! Keep it down."  
  
Tenchi shot himself out of bed and was now sitting up. "Would you get off of me, please!?" He was visibility disturbed from the last couple minutes of action.  
  
"Well, Tenchi that depends on you." smirked Ryoko. She leaned down, put both of her hands on his shoulders and drew him closer.  
  
"Get off of me!" yelled Tenchi. And he flipped Ryoko off his body. So shocked was Ryoko that she literally flew off the side of the bed. Unable to stop her momentum, she landed flat face on the cold floor.  
  
"Ouch," moaned Ryoko, her voice muffled from her face muffled by the ground. Sudden shuffling noises could now be heard around the rest of the Masaki house.   
  
Ryoko swiftly regained her balance from her fall and looked up. "You know, you could be kinder to your former lover...Tenchi!"  
  
Shock roared though Tenchi's mind. "What in the world!" he exclaimed.   
  
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*  
  
"Tenchi! What is going on in there! I hear a woman's voice," bellowed Ayeka. Other footsteps could be heard behind the door as well.  
  
"Uhhh... hold on a sec..." Damn. There was no closet space to speak of in his room. How in the world did she get in here without me hearing her open the door?   
  
"Oh, it's the devil, Tenchi!" hollered Ryoko. She was leaning on her knees, grabbing at his legs and hanging on to Tenchi for dear life.  
  
"Tenchi, I'm coming in!" howled Ayeka. The screen door burst open to view a very disturbed Ayeka. With her unkempt from a night's sleeping and her eyes fiery red, this was one person you did not want to see early in the morning. However, it was a little too late now.   
  
Behind her were Sasami, Mihoshi, and Noboyuki peeping their heads into the room. All their eyes were on Tenchi and the mystery girl.  
  
"Aaiiiee!" yelled Mihoshi as her body fell in through the doorway. So interested in the details, Mihoshi had lost her hold on the doorframe and proceeded to tumble right in after Ayeka.   
  
"Tenchi! What are you doing with another girl in your room! Some local girl? I don't believe this!" Ayeka peppered. She was clearly not pleased with the latest set of developments. In defiance, she kept her nose rather high and snooty to the preposterous of the situation.  
  
"Ayeka, it's not what it seems. I don't even know this woman." Tenchi replied sheepishly. His words had little effect on Ayeka's mind.  
  
"Really, you never had a chance Ayeka," quipped in Ryoko, still holding onto Tenchi's leg for good measure. "Tenchi is for me!"   
  
Then the reality of seeing Tenchi's obscure visitor hit Ayeka like a ton of bricks.   
  
"HOW?!..YOU!!.." Incoherent words continued out of Ayeka's mouth. The shock quickly worn off, but her anger was still at maximum. "With!...That!...Pirate!......Ryoko!!" Electricity leaped up from her now pointed finger at the seated Ryoko.  
  
"Pirate...who?" asked Tenchi. He was clearly puzzled by Ayeka's accusation from the recent shock from the last few moments.   
  
Normally, he would take Ayeka's side, thought Tenchi. But his mind is saying otherwise because of that...kiss. That kiss. The intoxication was so sudden, so emotional.   
  
Tenchi brought his hand up to his mouth in response to his feelings. Grandfather had once told him during one of his many practices that he will grow into a man one day. It was the usual story, like trudging up the hill to and from school. Pain. Rejection. Very grown-up emotions. He wondered if desire was also part of that equation. He looked a moment down at Ryoko in the corner of his eye. How can I be so into her, for whoever she was, after being played for a fool!   
  
No!, thought Tenchi.   
  
Reality hit him with a swift kick in the pants. Tenchi was not going to throw out the memories he had with Ayeka and the bond between them. Over the last year had been some of the happiness memories since his early childhood with his mother. No! This was not the way it would end. At least, not now. In response, he took a step out of Ryoko's grasp toward Ayeka and the door.  
  
"That demon, Tenchi," said Ayeka, responding to his question "burned my planet of Jurai to a cinder 700 years ago. She's a monster!" hissed Ayeka.  
  
"Tenchi! Please!" pleaded Ryoko, still on her knees.   
  
"Azaka! Kamidake!"   
  
The two guardian logs fizzled into existence in front of their commandant. "Take that *woman* and capture her!" yelled Ayeka, still very much pointing in Ryoko's direction.   
  
"Yes! Ma'am!" as they answered and rushed off toward their target.  
  
"So you want a fight huh, princess!" Ryoko got to her feet, quicker than Tenchi and Ayeka could realize. "Prepare to remember me again!" Narrowing her eyes, she powered up yellow energy balls and flung them into the approaching Jurdain guardians. They both fell backwards into the corners of the room.  
  
"Hey you two! Cut it out!" yelled Tenchi. It wasn't helping and poor Tenchi was severely outclass by the weapon these girls had at their disposal. He took refuge on the side of the room cringing near his desk.  
  
"I will take care you myself, then." Ayeka took a few more steps into the room and rolled up her robe arms. A bit a sweat was starting to glaze of the princess' face, the royal bonds that had kept her emotion checked were clearly missing.  
  
"Fine, no problem," answered the demon woman, as if she was waiting for her nails to dry.   
  
Ayeka powered up her own energy. Several rings of logs lined Tenchi's small bedroom, streaming with energy. In reaction, Ryoko's jewel on her hand glow with power as Ryoko created contrasting yellow balls of energy that circled near the door.   
  
"Let's get out of here..." yelled a leaving Sasami to the rest of the watchers as the increases of energy threaten to take out the entire second story of the Masaki household.  
  
Tenchi, overlooking the prologue of the upcoming battle, did not want to lose Ayeka nor his home. There's got the be some way of stopping that other girl, thought Tenchi. Ayeka called her the devil woman – one with jewels of energy on her wrist. He remembered the legend grandfather had told him so many times, on how his ancestor Yosho had imprisoned a 'demon' in the Masaki cave by removing the demon's power. Yes, by removing her gems on her wrist and neck. Staring into Ryoko, he could comparatively see a gem on one of her wrists, glowing with energy.  
  
So, he had to remove the jewel from that 'demon' girl there. But how was he going to get close to them? He didn't have any special powers at all! Only the sword fighting skills that his grandfather had taught him. Tenchi knew what he had to do, but for the moment it would break his lover's heart. He loosened the wooden handle of the broom that was on the ground behind him and held it precariously behind his body.   
  
"Stop it already!" yelled Tenchi has he leaped between the girls in the middle of their fight; which caused the skirmishing girls to immediately stop their battle of energy.  
  
"Tenchi!" commanded Ayeka. She sniffled a bit as Tenchi held his hand in her face, open vertically, gesturing Ayeka to stop.   
  
"Hey! Do you mind? I need to blow her up?" countered Ryoko.   
  
"Wait a second, the two of you. I really don't want my room to become a war zone." Too late, thought Tenchi. Already there were scorches on his ceiling, bed, and walls. He just needed to kill more time. "Can't you two discuss this instead of fighting." That statement gave him déjà vu symptoms that went up and down his entire spine.   
  
"What do you think your doing!" questioned Ayeka. She was clearly annoyed that her fight had been broken off by a negotiator. "Are you taking her side?" Ayeka for furious that Tenchi could be so deceived by 'that' woman.  
  
"Yea, so what if he is." said Ryoko. She inched closer to Tenchi, trying not to seduce but infuriate Ayeka. That's it, noted Tenchi, come a bit closer...and as Ryoko outstretched her arm and prepared for another assault...  
  
*Wwwaackkk*   
  
Tenchi had swung the broom handle right into Ryoko's wrist. There was no way Ryoko was expecting a blow from the object of her desires. With some skill and a fair amount of luck, Tenchi had hit the jewel perfectly on the wrist, unstabilizing the precious stone until it detonated in a small ball of fire that quickly extinguished itself. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, there stood Ryoko, missing her hand and part of her wrist. Her face in horror, with an shocked expression of pain and mortality.   
  
"Tenchi..." sobbed Ryoko, very visibility upset at the loss of her energy. He still held onto charred broom handle, pointing it toward Ryoko. "How could you hurt me...drain my energy...I...thought you loved me..." And Ryoko sadly phased thought the floor, disappearing from view.  
  
"Oh my..." mumbled Tenchi, as he dropped his temporary sword of wood. Ayeka quickly ran to her lover, embracing him quickly.   
  
"Tenchi, are you all right?" sounded Ayeka under her breath. She immediately started sobbing into his chest. They held onto one another for a long time.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
It had started to softly rain as Ryoko dashed away from the house that had given her so many good memories, her salty tears of sadness mixed with the cold droplets of rain that landed on her face. She refused to look back at her departure point as she sailed up into the sky.  
  
Ryoko had restored her arm while flying over the lake in front of the Masaki house. Still, there was continued numbness in her appendage from her recent fight. But she wasn't just upset at Ayeka, it was Tenchi that had disabled her and destroyed her only temporary jewel. And without any power, temporary or permanent, she could not communicate nor leave this forsaken place with Ryo-ohki.  
  
She flew back to her home, the shrine cave that had been her sanctuary for the last year. After being rejected by Tenchi, she was in no ordinary mood once again.   
  
This alternate reality continues to defy my will. Every time I try, something else happens that counters my true feelings for Tenchi. It's like I'm being cursed. And all I'm doing is living out my worst fears.  
  
She flew and landed at base of the stairs that led to the Masaki shrine. Better to walk up these steps, Ryoko thought, than use all my will to get home. So what if I get wet...   
  
The rain had now picked up to a steady stream. Cherry blossoms floated down the steps in small channels between the steps and the mosses. She looked down into the puddles and tried to imagine a future without her mother, her friends, and Tenchi.   
  
So, whatever this place, you've continued my nightmare. Times that I have succeeded you've struck me down. What else do I have to do? The return of her physical body only gave her actual pain that matched her fragile emotional state.  
  
Ryoko looked up into the sky and into the storm-filled air, for some sign of hope or a indication of peace. Only the sounds of dropping rain and howling winds would listen to her anguish.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	3. A Return to Familiar

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
============================================   
Chap 3 - A Return to Familiar  
============================================  
  
  
"Tenchi! Get dressed! Quickly!" commanded Katsuhito. The door slammed shut at the end of his comments.  
  
"Umm..." Tenchi was still in bed, it was still rather dark outside but the first hints of sun were starting to approach the upcoming day. Tenchi could hear the birds as they chirped at their view of the morning.  
  
Tenchi managed to get himself quickly out of bed and threw on some clothes from a couple of days ago. Putting his socks on, his inpatient grandfather re-opened his door.   
  
"Tenchi, meet me downstairs," were his orders. The grave look on his face meant he was indeed in serious trouble, thought Tenchi.   
  
"What this all about?" asked a puzzled Tenchi. Instead of answering his question, his grandfather closed the door again and marched himself downstairs.   
  
Tenchi quickly finished up, quietly tiptoeing by the girls' rooms as he followed his grandfather out of the house toward the shrine.  
  
Still early, the morning fog had not left the hills of the Masaki residence. Tenchi could see the footprints his grandfather had made in the grass. A bit of cold from the moisture and rain from last night. He reached the top of the shrine stairs where his grandfather waited for him.  
  
"You know of the Masaki legend." started Katsuhito as they walked into the shrine. "About an ancient warrior fighting a wicked demon and imprisoning it in that cave." He stopped and continued his speech. "When you took my keys..."  
  
"Umm..." Tenchi gulped at the accusation. Boy, he was in hot water now. But how come his grandfather had mentioned something that had happened over a year ago. Why now?   
  
"You didn't find anything, did you." They were now in the shrine office where grandfather was going through one of his drawers. Tenchi nodded to his question had grandfather pulled out a familiar set of keys.  
  
"I've always had a strange feeling about that place; that I was safe there for some reason..." Tenchi stopped his train of thought as they exited the shrine and walked quickly in silence toward the cave.  
  
The entrance of the shine cave door was wide open, from plain view it looked like someone had literally ripped the iron gate off its hinges. A few large boulders had fallen over the mouth of the cave, making it far from accessible.   
  
Katsuhito stooped near the ground. "Hmmm..." he whispered, as he sifted through the sediment near the cave opening. "It seems we've had company very recently." The rain from the night had not been able to wash most the recent sediment away.  
  
He stood up and faced the entrance. It was going to be a very difficult day, a day he thought that would never come in his lifetime. His life had been unexpectedly long. Today, his secrets would be finally revealed. First, he would explain as much background as there was to Tenchi as he retrieved his sword. Sneaking out of the house so early with his grandson would also easily alert Ayeka, she would soon as be here as well.  
  
Reaching out with his right hand, Yosho seemed to be grasping right out of thin air. "Tenchi-ken," he whispered. And long ago power finally answered his plea.   
  
The cave shook with as if it was under attack from within. Rocks and pebbles bounced from the ground, dust unsettled and formed small clouds. A soft, blue light was now emitting from the cavern, illuminating the local landscape. It soon heightened and engulfed Katsuhito in a bathe of radiance and power.   
  
A sliver of blue, like a rod of energy emerged first; then the handle of the fine sword, made of dried bark and wood. Coming vertically, it turned midair, until it silently landed horizontally in Katsuhito's outstretched hand. The energy that made up the blade disengaged, and Katsuhito lowered the weapon.  
  
"What is going on?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"Tenchi, it has been a long time since I've had to retrieve this sword." He had stayed at the shine last night, it was through Funaho that Yosho had learned that Ryoko had escaped and been to Masaki household last night. He turned and faced away from troubled grandson. "I heard a strange woman came to visit you last night." he asked in a higher pitched voice.  
  
Figures, Tenchi thought, that he would hear about that already. "Who is she?"  
  
"Her name is Ryoko. Seven hundred years ago I took her powers away and locked her in this cave. With this sword I maintained her entrapment as to a key stick in a door. But last night, a greater evil was able to nudge Tenchi-ken out of the keyhole, freeing her."   
  
Tenchi couldn't believe his ears. He started to piece Katsuhito's words together with the local legends and the stories that Ayeka had told him. He quickly came to a defining conclusion.   
  
"You're Yosho, aren't you." Katsuhito continued to face away from Tenchi, nodding in agreement.   
  
Tenchi continued this line of questioning. "Then why hide from Ayeka, you know it means to so much to her. Why, instead of trouncing out here day and night at the shrine."   
  
It was the very first time Tenchi had ever lashed out at his elder, his grandfather. He had joined Ayeka on her search quite a while ago, he had shared in practice their failures in their search for Yosho with his grandfather. Meanwhile, Katsuhito had continued to avoid Ayeka and the rest of the girls, like they had never came.   
  
Tenchi's love for Ayeka only made Yosho's confession that much harder. He carefully considered the ramifications of his grandfather's past life. He *lied* to me, for months. But if I would of known that Ayeka was so directly related to *me*, I might never have fallen for her in the first place.  
  
"I knew this day would come." answered Yosho after quite a long time. "I just never thought these circumstances would dictate a revealing of my past." He paused again and continued, still facing away from Tenchi. "A power feud had started between myself and Ayeka for succession of the Jurai Royal throne. Ayeka wanted to share royal power with me, but I wanted nothing to do with the ruling party. So I purposely chased Ryoko across the galaxy to this world. I was able to imprison her on this planet, the former home of my mother. In the process of battle, I let Ryoko's counterattacks removed any trace of my path here and my existence. After imprisoning the pirate, I decided to stay and not return to the royal duties of Jurai."   
  
"Yosho..." scolded Tenchi, but quietly. "She loved you, didn't she."   
  
"Yes, I did not know. But now you know the circumstances that caused me to leave Ayeka's life. But I couldn't face them again, even when they were here, so close. Even after 700 years."   
  
Tenchi was trying to get the bottom of the issue, but had heard enough to satisfy him for now. "So, then what do we do?" asked Yosho's grandson.  
  
"It is my duty, and yours as well, to find out who released Ryoko from her slumber. By my son's fanciful story last night, Ryoko's entrapment seems to have changed her from what I remember, for I do not know why. It is important that we find her, she can be very dangerous if unchecked."  
  
"My duty?" questioned Tenchi.  
  
"Yes, Tenchi! You are the successor to the first crown prince of Jurai. Even thought you are only part Jurdain, you are still of royal blood."  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko, still in a daze from the last day's events, could not sleep until the rays of light had filtered down into the inner depths of her sanctum. She had set off a couple of floating energy balls with her emergency energy, giving the cave some much needed nightlights.  
  
This time, being her physical body, she realized how much this place had seemed like home for the last year. She thought about her previous life in the Masaki household with Tenchi, Ayeka, Sasami, and the rest of the group. That history started to feel like a fine-woven story, a place she had never visited. Instead, her place of pain was still going on, trapped in a place and time that seemed out of sync, one where Tenchi had fallen in love with Ayeka, one where mortal enemies still existed, one where her friends weren't with her, one where Washu; her mom was not even part of her life.  
  
The other history that she knew was the last 700 years being locked in this cave. But that also didn't feel right anymore, even though it was a past that happened, it was more distant than from a year of two ago. It was this last single year, trapped in isolation with her alternate memories of Tenchi that had to be the strongest of all.  
  
An unusual blue glow from the mouth of the cave interrupted her deep thoughts. She recognized the energy of Jurai and in slightly better spirits she flew out of the cave in curiosity.  
  
Floating swiftly out of the cave and landing a few feet from the entrance, Ryoko stared down at her visitors. There stood Yosho, with Tenchi closely behind him.   
  
"Ah," answered Yosho, "You have previously been set free. I see." Yosho paused and turned around. "You've already met my grandson, Tenchi."  
  
Ryoko blushed at Yosho's comments but didn't say a word. With her mind tired and her body with little energy, there was no reason to argue, no compelling to fight any longer. Instead, she just stood there with her head down, arms hanging at her side, in a rather defeated position.   
  
"Come with us, Ryoko." asked Yosho.   
  
She didn't have to be convinced otherwise. "Why not." And without looking into Tenchi's eyes. Ryoko quietly followed Yosho and his grandson back to the shrine office.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
The three of them came around from the back of the shrine in the front patio. Yosho was leading the group, with Tenchi and Ryoko scuffling behind. Waiting for them was an impatient Ayeka with the two Jurdain guardians. She was very upset about being left out of their morning plans.  
  
"What you doing...with that woman, Tenchi!" shot Ayeka as they approached her direction. "I want an answer-"  
  
"Ayeka!" interrupted Yosho, clearly distressed from the situation. In his hand, he held up Tenchi-ken for Ayeka to see. The gleam from the three jewels from the bottom of the hilt reflected off the sunlight into the eyes of Ayeka.   
  
That sword! Ayeka recognized it immediately as Yosho's sword and put the pieces together rather quickly.   
  
"Yosho!" stuttered Ayeka, followed by stunned silence. Once, she might have run up to her brother and hugged him. But not this brother, the person that had hidden himself from her in the last year. Shocked, she no longer knew what to do.  
  
"Ayeka," injected her brother, grabbing hold of the situation. "Come join me for tea." commanded Yosho. He led her up the steps into his private office.   
  
"Yes, brother." Following orders were her only option. So Ayeka slowly followed her living relative into his office.   
  
The guardians popped in close to Ayeka again. "Yes, princess Ayeka?" they asked.  
  
"Go home. Now!" she commanded. They quickly disappeared as the princess entered the shrine.  
  
Yosho came back to the screen and began to slide the door closed. However he stopped halfway, paused, and directed his grandson once again.  
  
"Tenchi, come here." ordered Yosho.  
  
"Yes..." was the answer from Tenchi as he ran up the steps to his grandfather, his head look up.   
  
Yosho pulled out Tenchi-ken from his hand and placed it into Tenchi's grip while giving Ryoko a glaring look. "She doesn't go anywhere, Tenchi. Make sure."  
  
Tenchi nervously took hold of the ancient weapon. "Uh...I don't know how to use this! What if she decides to...ah, blast me!" gulped Tenchi.  
  
"You will know what to do." snapped back his grandfather. Tenchi was about to ask another question, but Yosho swiftly slid the screen door closed.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Yosho could not have imagined this day had finally arrived on his doorstep. In the years as he disguised his identity by becoming a Shinto priest in Earth's past, he had never been discovered. He once did imagine that one day his sister would come to his doorstep, but that was back, oh, five or six hundred years ago. How surprised he was to find out that the gems had given his tree Funaho as well as himself virtual immortality. Now, seven hundred years later, time was up. Today, he had to face the truth.   
  
Sitting down with Ayeka across the table was for once a familiar sight. She had been here a year, and Yosho had managed with much difficulty to avoid a direct confrontation. But now with Ryoko loose and Ayeka in contact recently with Jurai, he could no longer afford to dodge her questions.   
  
Rather royal but to a purpose, Ayeka waited for her brother to start. "Some tea, Ayeka?" Yosho asked.  
  
"Yes, I would." commented Ayeka, sitting and alert, patiently awaiting every word.  
  
Pouring a cup for Ayeka and himself, he finally started his story, a tale that began seven hundred years ago.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Now what, thought Tenchi. This was really turning into quite a day. He was curious what Ayeka and his grandfather were speaking about, but he also knew of his new duties. He stepped down the office steps and approached his new detainee who was sitting on the far wall, almost sleeping with her head down.  
  
"Ryoko..." That's her, remembered Tenchi. The soft cyan hair spikes gave his mind a familiar feel. Even though he couldn't see enough of her face, it was enough to spark the memories of last night.  
  
It was as we were matched set had been brought together, thought Tenchi. More than curious, he walked closer to Ryoko and lowered his guard. He just couldn't get her out of his mind. Tenchi felt his bottom lip warm as he rested his fingers over his chin.   
  
It was that moment, that point, he lost his self control. The soul of that...kiss...was still stuck in his inner body, shaking his mortal core. And it felt natural and eternal. And before he was aware of his actions, he had lightly spoken.   
  
"That kiss, I can't believe it, so wonderful..." spoke Tenchi, under his breath. He almost didn't realize it, not that his mind had told him to say such words, but that his ears had heard it.  
  
Ryoko, still in her daze, nearly missed Tenchi's words of expression. But ever her super hearing skills could not fully understand and string Tenchi soothing voice into a meaningful phase. The only part Ryoko heard clearly was "kiss". And with the slimmest of hopes and prayers with the great chance of fear, Ryoko brought her head up and looked into Tenchi's eyes.   
  
Those eyes are matched with the soul that doesn't know me, remembered Ryoko. But it did matter to her, because Ryoko's breathing became caught in her mouth so quickly that she nearly starved herself of oxygen. The look Tenchi gave her meant the whole world as it sent major chills down her spine.   
  
In this time, he doesn't even know me. He does even know how I feel about him. Then how can he look into my eyes is such a way. She knew her own cheeks were really starting to blush, but alas there was nothing she could do. For Ryoko knew Tenchi very well indeed.  
  
"Tenchi..." Ryoko spoke, almost near tears. The strain of the last twenty-four hours had been too much on her. Every time I have such thoughts, Ryoko remembered, they come back to haunt me. What do I have else to try?  
  
Tenchi, hearing his name from Ryoko's lips began to feel the spell of something in the air. He took another step closer. His actions in the last minute had been not from his mind, but from his soul. He was hoping for more enchantment.  
  
But reason once more filled his heart, his mind taking control of his body once again. He quickly wiped away the spell that Ryoko had set and protected himself once again.  
  
Taking out Tenchi-ken with his hands clammy, the master key immediately burnished itself as a sword of energy. Ryoko, looking down at the tip of Tenchi's blade, composed herself quickly but said nothing.  
  
"Ryoko," asked Tenchi, rather forcefully. "What is going on?" Looking into her eyes, Tenchi couldn't understand why he had questioned her in such a manner. Either way, he was taking control of the situation.  
  
Ryoko looked again into his eyes, and at last spoke. "Tenchi, I have known you for several years now. I have lived here with you once before." Rather shocked from her answer, the master key almost fell out of Tenchi's hands. But he quickly grasped his feelings and reaffirmed his question by bringing the blue blade closer the Ryoko's face.  
  
"I love her." stammered Tenchi. "What's why. Ayeka had given me completeness." Tenchi knew that with Ayeka around, he had become a stronger person. The choice of falling and not falling for her took almost a year, but it had finally happened. The coupling of the two of them had given Tenchi a new perspective, and perhaps a bit more than a little backbone.  
  
Tenchi brought the sword that much closer to Ryoko's neck. She did not flinch. "What makes you think differently?" asked Tenchi. The blue energy of the sword was so close the Ryoko's face that Tenchi could see the energy reflection in Ryoko's red-lined eyes.   
  
After a moment of looking up into space, Ryoko answered. "This time, in this existence, fate seems to deal me cards that I don't understand. Instead of you releasing me from my slumber, it was-" Thoughts of her former impounder swept through her mind in a flash, only in be answered right away.  
  
"Me." answered the green-ball energy from the sky, now descending and touching the Earth. Ryoko just looked up in horror to see the form of Kagato emerge from his traveling ball and land safety onto the close side of the shrine courtyard.   
  
Very much alive and alert, Kagato proceeded to throw a few energy shots in their direction, but they aimlessly missed and faded away quietly into the ground.   
  
"Kagato!! You fool!!!" Ryoko got up off the wall, flying into the air.  
  
"Nice to see you up and about, Ryoko!"  
  
"Tenchi! Stay away from him!" yelled Ryoko. She tried powering up as much as she could, but without any jewels, it was a useless fight for her.  
  
"What do you want!" demanded Tenchi. He flashed the master key in Kagato's direction and gritted his teeth, all ready for battle.  
  
"So tell me boy, do you know that Master key has all three gems on it. I see..." explained Kagato as he hurled a few more shots in Tenchi's direction.   
  
"Please Tenchi, let's run. You can't fight him now." Ryoko was scared that Tenchi was not ready to fight Kagato, even if her Tenchi had defeated him once before. But she was powerless to stop him.  
  
"Aaarrr..." was the charge of Tenchi as he ran toward his target Kagato, swinging and widely missing his figure a few times. Kagato lighted his sword ablaze and struck at Tenchi rather quickly and violently, striking his form to the ground, unconscious. The master key, now off, dropped harmlessly out of Tenchi's grasp and landed quite close to Kagato.   
  
"Tenchi!" cried Ryoko, she ran to Tenchi's side as he lay sprawled on the ground. But she had to stop the when a blast from Kagato shook at her feet, keeping her away from her goal.  
  
"I see you care about this boy, Ryoko. And you've only known him for a day. How wonderful it is for him to follow you around like a lost puppy." Kagato's eyes were however distracted at the Master Key on the ground. His plan had been to attack the boy and Ryoko and grab the key before Yosho came out and defended the group. Yes, he could stand up to Yosho, but he didn't want a confrontation. Instead, this quick attack had gone exactly to plan. The Master key await at his feet, ready for his embracing.  
  
Ryoko, still a few yards from Kagato, spoke up. "You know, your little sneak-up didn't work exactly like you wanted it to." explained Ryoko. "I know you can't touch the Master key." Even thought it was a bold-faced lie, Ryoko was hoping Kagato wouldn't forget the terrible pain from just a day ago. Now, to lie was her only chance to avoid Kagato's grip of the master key and Jurdain power.   
  
Kagato felt the sting of Ryoko's words in his newly formed left hand. The key, glistening in the sunlight, was his, ready for the taking. But restoring his body had been a very painful affair.   
  
"Argh," he growled. Kagato did not want to repeat the process. Somehow, he was going to need to separate the key from the gems. It was the gems that he needed to power Souja to finally capture the final Jurdain power of Tsunami. Yes, the boy...   
  
So Kagato in one motion, swept down and grabbed the unconscious Tenchi from the ground. "I will be taking my prize now, Ryoko. I believe you will know where to find me." And he laughed horribly as he slowly ascended into the air.  
  
"Kagato! Come back here with Tenchi!" yelled Ryoko, still on the ground dazed from her latest loss and her inability to fight.  
  
Yosho and Ayeka had just emerged from the shine to find Kagato floating right in front of them. With one hand, Kagato held the unconscious limp form of Tenchi by the back neck of jacket "What are you doing to him!" commanded Ayeka, shocked from this latest ordeal.  
  
"Ah, so the First Crown Prince of Jurai and his little sister have found each other again. How touching." iced Kagato in his monotone voice. He enjoyed toying with the new visitors, but feared he did not have the time. "One false move," and Kagato raised his other hand, charging his palm with a small ball of energy. "This boy dies before your very eyes."   
  
"YOU!" screamed Ayeka, ready to let loose a blast of energy.  
  
"Let him go, Ayeka," commanded Yosho, in a glaze of isolation.   
  
"But..." answered back Ayeka, in astonishment. "Why?"  
  
"We have no choice!" countered Yosho. Tenchi-ken was well too far away in the courtyard to call upon. His best defense was his tongue. "Or we all die."  
  
"That's right," explained Kagato. He felt well in control of the battle. However, his quick round of actions have lacked the taste for blood he so desired. His calculated moves had been ruthless to a point, but the moment blew at the rational center of his mind. In control no longer, Kagato fought with unchecked power. He decided to deal one of his enemies a card of fate: death.   
  
"You don't have any choice," finished Kagato, at the end of his thoughts. He swiftly ignited power in his palm and fired off an energy bolt in the direction of Yosho and Ayeka.   
  
Yosho was ready for the onslaught of force. However, without the Master key in his hands, his personal light hawk shield would not be able to defend both himself and Ayeka. Even though his body was young, his mind was old. He didn't mind that the fates had dealt him his death, instead he prepared his powers to protect his sister.  
  
But just after Kagato had fired his blast of power, he felt the collision of a fast-charging flying Ryoko hitting his back with total authority. His body, not prepared for the physical contact, had not phased into an ethereal plane, bent upwards like a sapling.   
  
The energy blast from the movements in his body arched upwards, finding the Masaki shrine roof instead of its intended targets. The roof promptly shook and shattered, large boulders of clay tile and rock fell onto Yosho and Ayeka. It resulted quickly in a dust and pebble cloud that engulfed what was left of the shrine.   
  
Kagato, not holding onto Tenchi, tumbled in a heap into the stone floor, somersaulted and recovered rather quickly onto his feet. He looked back to find the boy facing down on top of Ryoko. It was almost a miracle that Ryoko had been able to catch Tenchi. They were now both knocked out, Ryoko with major gashes on her back, arms, and thigh, was bleeding profusely and had paid the price for her rescue. Tenchi had made it through the ordeal with a nasty cut on his head, but otherwise he was mostly just banged and bruised.   
  
"You are such a fool, Ryoko. I will welcome you later, if you survive," murmured Kagato, as he digressed into a sinister laugh. He proceeded to pick up Tenchi and transport himself and his find away.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Mihoshi was running up the shine steps at full speed, with Sasami close behind. Mihoshi had thought nothing even happened on this 'backwards' world that Ayeka had described. It had taken almost a year for her Galaxy Police fellow officers to find her here. But tranquil and peace was one of her recent goals, she had been very happy here with Tenchi and the few other houseguests.   
  
Yes, even though Tenchi and Ayeka were at last bonding as a couple before her very eyes, she was happy to stay here. Her passions for Tenchi remained hidden from the rest of the world. Instead of returning to headquarters, she realized it was this place, not just the people that had filled her heart with contentment.   
  
It was during a quiet lunch with Sasami that Mihoshi's bracelet emitted warning noises of danger. Her scanner bracelet quickly identified the energy signature of the intruder as one of the most dangerous criminals in the known galaxy: Kagato. She quickly changed into her GP suit and rushed to the door.  
  
"What's going on?" questioned Sasami, coming out of the kitchen.  
  
"I have to go, Sasami. Stay here." commanded Mihoshi.   
  
"Where are you going?" asked Sasami, unsatisfied with Mihoshi's first answer. She had stopped mixing some batter and was looking up at Mihoshi as she cradled her GP pistol.   
  
"I'm going up the shrine. There's something dangerous going on and I want you safe."   
  
Sasami shot back, rather quickly. "But my sister is up there..." Mihoshi could see that she was close to tears of worry.  
  
"Come on. But stay behind me." said a swayed Mihoshi.   
  
Now they were both running up the steps to see what danger they could find. As Mihoshi approached the top step, a cloud of dust from a recent explosion descended down the steps, temporary blocking a clear view of the shrine courtyard.  
  
"Sasami. Stay here." whispered Mihoshi as she turned of her bracelet beacon. Sasami nodded in agreement to Mihoshi's request. "I'm going to check on the others." And Mihoshi cleared the top and ran across the courtyard. And she was almost to the other side when she tripped---  
  
"Ooof," exclaimed Mihoshi, as she landed on something rather soft. Catching her bearing, she saw that she had tripped over the strange cyan haired woman that had interrupted their sleep last night. The dust had finally settled and the broken shrine build could be seen. Only the far left and right wings were still standing, the rest of the shrine was a jumbled heap from where it had been.  
  
Ryoko started to come around and open her eyes. "Sasami, come up here and give me a hand." yelled an hysteric Mihoshi as she surveyed Ryoko's broken body.   
  
"Where's...Tenchi..." were the only words that Ryoko speak. Her mouth was very dry and parched. The earth from the shrine collapse had caked most of her body and her now disheveled hair. The few wounds that could be seen oozed a dirty mix of dried blood and dust.   
  
"Sssh..." spoke Mihoshi as she broke out her gauze bandages from her portable first-aid kit. She wasn't sure if her small supply would be enough. The years of GP training for once had finally taken over in her mind, she was on auto pilot now.  
  
"Where is Katsuhito and Ayeka?" asked Mihoshi, holding onto Ryoko's hand. Ryoko wasn't in the mood for talking, however, she nodded her head toward to collapsed shrine.   
  
"Can I help?" asked Sasami as she took position besides Mihoshi.   
  
"I've got to check on the collapsed building. Stay here with her." said Mihoshi. The mystery girl wasn't exactly going anywhere in her condition. She approached the rubble to find Ayeka digging at her feet. Her skin had a couple of small cuts, but otherwise she seemed unblemished. She immediately piped up.  
  
"Is Sasami all right?" questioned Ayeka as she saw her younger sister treating the wounds of Ryoko. She was still actively moving some clay shards around.  
  
"She's fine...is something wrong?" said Mihoshi, leaning over the fragile Jurdain princess.  
  
"I can't find my brother-" said Ayeka, but she interrupted herself when she pulled away a large piece of clay tile, discovering her objective. "Come on, help me here..." as the both of them Ayeka continued to remove rubble that covered her unconscious brother.  
  
"Where's Tenchi?" solemnly asked Mihoshi.  
  
Tears were streaming down her face, Ayeka was already in grief at the drop of a hat. "I don't know...I think he took her..." were the only words she could say.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko, still sprawled out over the stone floor of the shrine, looked up to see the familiar vision of Sasami tending to her wounds. Still very much weak with energy, her body throbbed with pain. For once, she felt that water might help her thirst.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked a worried Sasami.  
  
"Hey kid..." was the soft answer from Ryoko, as she turned her head toward Sasami.   
  
With little strength to fully answer Sasami's question, Ryoko tried getting her body up but there was little reaction from her chest down. She took her hand to feel the developing moisture along the side of her back, when she brought her fingers to her face, they were lined and moistened with human blood.   
  
How can I be injured and not heal myself, thought Ryoko. A couple of drops of blood from her fingers dripped down and landed softly on her body. Real Blood. I've lived for over two-thousand years. Even without any of the gems, I can repair my wounds and re-grow my limbs. Why am I so mortal now?  
  
The weakness continued to put a strain on Ryoko's mind, but she stayed awake. "Tenchi...not again..." she caught on her breath, swallowing her words. She was sure that Kagato had taken Tenchi back to his ship. Losing Tenchi once again brought her to tears.  
  
Tenchi, why do you leave me now. My body is now broken, my spirit ripped away. It took all my energy to save you, at the expense of my physical self. But I don't have the strength to come after you. Ayeka or my former incarcerator will surely strike me down. I promise, I will do anything to save you once again, even if I don't survive this body. No matter what the cost.   
  
And Ryoko, without the strength in her body to keep herself mentality active, rolled back into familiar oblivion.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"There, come on...easy." said Mihoshi as she and Ayeka removed the last of the tiles covering Yosho's body.  
  
"Ayeka..." spoke Yosho, rather hoarsely from the dust in the air.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine..." answered Ayeka. She leaned down and examined her brother, placing her hand on the side of the face with introspective.  
  
"It is good to see your ok." said Yosho, coughing slightly between words. "Now please help me up, Ayeka."  
  
With Ayeka and Mihoshi each taking sides, they helped Yosho to his feet. He gingerly started to walk on his own power, only to find his left ankle collapse under his body's weight, he promptly fell into Mihoshi. For once, she did not fall under the additional weight and up righted Yosho against her body once again.   
  
"I believe you have a sprained ankle, among some other injuries." answered Ayeka rather tersely. Yosho in fact also had a couple of broken ribs, a minor concussion, and a strained shoulder, but he refused to show weakness in front of his younger sister.  
  
"Umm, yes," commented Yosho. No use in fighting the issue if he wasn't going to be right about it.  
  
Sasami had turned and ran over to Ayeka, hugging her and hiding her head in her sister's chest. "There, there, I'm all right..." soothed Ayeka as she stoked her younger sister's hair.  
  
"It just that Tenchi is...gone. And you were hurt, with Katsuhito..."  
  
Yosho coughed. Sasami continued after a quick pause. "...and that girl from last night, she's not doing well at all..." and she finally separated and stepped away from her older sister.  
  
"Umm, Sasami," Ayeka pointed out delicately. "This is Yosho, our brother..." Sasami's eyes just lit up like big saucers at her older sister's words, her smile just as wide.  
  
Mihoshi quickly interjected, "Then where is Katsuhito?"  
  
Ayeka, Sasami, and Yosho almost fell flat on their faces.   
  
Ryoko, remembered Ayeka as she separated from the rest of the group to take a closer look at the space pirate. There was her mortal enemy, thought Ayeka. She was still face-up, with her head bent over and twisted into an odd position. But it was the face that not at peace, but instead it was one that raged of an inner war. With her eyes lids closed, Ryoko seemed to hide a great amount of the battle. Still, the demons are in her, thought Ayeka, and they don't leave when they can.  
  
There were wraps and bandages around Ryoko's arms and legs, many of them hiding wounds too big to cover with small gauzes. A small pool of blood had formed to the close side of Ryoko's body where Ayeka was standing. Ayeka could even make out the dried blood from Ryoko's fingertips.  
  
She looked at her old enemy, now defeated and almost annihilated from the last battle. She wanted to pounce on Ryoko to finish her off for the crimes that she had committed. But the instinctive measure soon dissolved rather easily as Ayeka's heart considerably softened. Looking down at the broken body of her enemy, she fell to her knees, grabbling a hand of the space pirate and holding it in close to her chest.   
  
"You saved my Tenchi...and I can't imagine why." Ayeka sobbed. Tear of pain started to flow from Ayeka eyes. Her Tenchi, her love, was in the hands of a madman that was far in the past. Why did he want Tenchi? He doesn't have any special powers. He's just a pawn...  
  
"Ayeka!" said Yosho, from the far side of the beaten temple.   
  
Ayeka quickly refocused her energies at hand. "What do we do with her now?"  
  
"Save her." was the stern voice of Yosho, now standing over Ayeka. He was being supported by Sasami. "Mihoshi, get me that sword that lies on the ground over there."  
  
"There's nothing here but pieces of bark and tree." answered back a confused Mihoshi.   
  
Yosho groaned. "Just bring me the piece of bark over there," and Yosho pointed to a longer slender piece in front of Mihoshi.   
  
"I'm, I don't know which one..." and Mihoshi started to gather all the pieces of wood that were near her feet, including Tenchi-ken. She quickly came back to Yosho with a thicket of wood.   
  
"Here you go. I guess we can make a fire now to keep her warm." nodded Mihoshi, handling the large bundle to the unprepared Yosho.  
  
"I'll take that." answered Sasami. Taking the bundle, she quickly pulled out Tenchi-ken and handed the sword hilt to Yosho, then quickly discarded the rest of the thicket.  
  
"Do you think this is a good idea, Yosho?" asked Ayeka. She blinked again without saying another word as Yosho carefully waddled over to Ryoko.  
  
"We do not have a choice. We need her to save Tenchi." explained Yosho. "And she will help us, for that much I am sure." Yosho coughed from the ever-present dust and continued. "I'm not just healing her with Jurdain energy, but I'm giving her powers back to her."  
  
And Yosho laid out the hilt, closing his eyes, focusing his energy. Tenchi-ken slowly glowed and hummed in response. The three gems on the hilt flashed with red energy and faded away. They, for once, were returning home.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Pain and torment were currently her friends. No longer wanting to embrace the present, her mind chased back into the past. More than a year ago, she had her love in her arms, even at the expense of aggrieving the princess. But now, she was in a place where Tenchi was no longer possibly hers.  
  
And without Tenchi, there was no use fighting any longer. That darkness that visited her enclosed here eyes and filled her heart once again. The emotions turned from little hope she had to more despair and loss. And only the silence of the darkness could she find comfort in.  
  
But from out of the darkness, she saw it. It started from so far out as it began to swirl around her body, in a white haze of sparkle and light. The space she was in was familiar yet dark, it was a place she had been to a long time ago. The sensation was life flying in space among the stars in perfect silence.  
  
Still, the haze continued to come much closer and cover her body, like a loose cloth of fine silk. It throbbed with life and a soul. She felt her body absorb the sheets of haze, like a plant gathers sunlight from the sum. And in a final movement, the silken haze came ever so close and touched her.  
  
It touched her wrists, quickly forming into a little button. Sucking the regional haze from around her arms, forming slowly into a gem, changing color to red and depositing it on her skin. The rest of haze formed around her head, swirling around faster and faster, until it finally cascaded into a red gem of it own. And it placed itself on the nape of her neck.  
  
It took awhile to register the new sensations. Familiar yet intense power flowed through her veins, arching in her arms and behind her neck. How much she missed the power was almost indescribable. It gave her existence, for without the three gems she had always felt a bit naked. It was good to be whole once again.   
  
With her body healed, her mind let her out of unconsciousness toward the light. But just before she left her place, Ryoko swore she heard the fluttering of wings.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"What happened..." said Ryoko hoarsely, her mouth dry from her experiences, save from the lack of water that she never needed. Was it all a dream? A dream that had lasted a year without anyone, and a day of pain at the end? But with the sight of the figures standing around her body, her personal nightmare marched onward.  
  
Again, she was facing up at the sky, except she had visitors look down at her this time. She could see a tired and worn Yosho being supported by Sasami, Ayeka with a strong look of determination and will, and Mihoshi...well, you could never get a look and tell what she was thinking because there really wasn't much up there, after all.  
  
Oh yeah, the power, Ryoko remembered. Oh was it true? Instead of feeling for the gems in her mind, she took her hands up to her neck and felt for the third gem. It was there!   
  
The gems on her neck glowed a soft red in response to the full awakening of Ryoko's mind. No longer a puzzle with an incomplete part, she knew she was whole once again. She took a long breath to realize the order of the situation.   
  
She reached behind her back to check for her mortal cuts. Nothing! reaching around with her hand to look at it, the dried blood had disappeared. Her body, now whole, had healed thyself with amazing ease.  
  
"Get up Ryoko! We don't have all day," ordered Ayeka. With her hands on her hips, she was an impressive sight indeed as her shadow stood over the demon.  
  
"Take it easy, princess. Don't get your feathers all in a bunch now." Ryoko elevated from her lying position on the ground to take a slightly overhead look at Ayeka, floating a few inches off the ground.  
  
"Now, are you going to follow my directions, you pirate." and Ayeka's eyes just lit up with power. "Or are we going to have a demonstration like last night?"   
  
Ryoko finally settled onto the ground, turning comfortably away from the rest of the group. "Well, if you want a piece of me now, why don't you just try. I will blow you away to pieces." Red energy arches though Ryoko veins, cascading off her body in hot, red sparks. And Ryoko powered up a small red sphere of energy and threw in the direction of Ayeka.   
  
Ayeka managed to dodge the powerful sphere before in landed behind her and blew the what was of the temple to the ground. Instead of answering, she stared down the pirate.   
  
"Why? Don't you like my sample?" Ryoko answered.  
  
"I see you have a little more firepower now, but not the mind to go with it." And Ayeka closed her eyes and mind as a ringlet of logs appeared around Ryoko. In response, Ryoko summonsed her field of energy balls as well.  
  
"Enough!" was the sudden shout as Yosho walked right between the two of them, freezing the moment in time.  
  
"Brother! What are you doing?" questioned the princess.  
  
"Hey! Get out of the way!" directed the space pirate.   
  
"Ryoko! I did not give back you powers as a plaything. You do want to rescue Tenchi, don't you?" said Yosho, turning in Ryoko's direction.   
  
Ryoko just stood there, knowing the answer in her mind right away. There was no doubt that in the last year her life she had lived for Tenchi. The choice was easy. Ryoko willed her body to power down her energy. At Ryoko's response, Yosho then turned his attention to the princess.  
  
"Ayeka! Without her, you will not get Tenchi back alive. Do you just care for vengeance at the sacrifice of Tenchi?"   
  
More than anything, she wanted Tenchi back. But at the cost to her family, to her friends on Jurai that had been hurt in Ryoko's treachery 700 years ago? Was the vengeance worth the price of her love, her Tenchi? Thoughts continued to swirl around in her mind.   
  
For all this time, she had been at the will of her father and her family. She would have done anything for them. Obey them. Marry someone she didn't love because it was the political move.   
  
But not this time. And Ayeka gave into her brother's wishes, shutting down her energy logs. "Tenchi..." was the whelp of Ayeka as she was close to tears.  
  
A shuffling from the bushes was followed by some familiar voices. "Can we come out now?" was Sasami from behind a tree to the side of the shattered shrine. She turned away from the group and spoke to another bush behind her. "You didn't hurt your head too much when diving with me for cover, did you?"  
  
Ayeka could hear the groans of Mihoshi from the bushes as well. "Ouch..." and more groans.  
  
"Come on Mihoshi," and Sasami ran out to the outstretch arms of Ayeka, shortly followed by the dizzy blond.   
  
"Is everyone all right?" asked Mihoshi, who was wobbly at best. Twigs were still sticking out of her hair when she finally regained most of the balance she would ever have.  
  
"Are you ok, Ayeka?" asked a hugging Sasami once again.   
  
"Yes, I am Sasami" Ayeka cleared her face as the five of them got closer together in a group. She squeezed her sister's hand in love. "Thank you." And Sasami looked up at her sister, smiling and supporting her emotionally.  
  
"So it's agreed," said Yosho, now standing up without assistance, his arm crossed and his chin up rather high.  
  
"Agreed to what?" asked Ryoko.  
  
"That we're in this for Tenchi." answered Ayeka.  
  
"For Tenchi!" ringed in Sasami.  
  
"Tenchi!" chimed in Mihoshi.  
  
And all eyes looked to Ryoko. After a awkward moment, she looked up into the sky and spoke. "Yea...for Tenchi!"  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko followed Mihoshi around the lake. Ayeka and Sasami were helping Yosho clean up the temple as much as they could. They were also moving some the surviving ancient valuables to the Masaki household for safekeeping. They would be down here in a hour or two anyway.   
  
"So where is your loaner ship, Mihoshi?" asked Ryoko.  
  
"Umm...I think its over here." And they both cleared a path to surprising uncover a GP shuttle craft, fully buried in the silt. A small red opening was soon revealed as Mihoshi came to it.   
  
"Why is it buried in the sand..."  
  
"The other GP didn't want the locals to umm, find it. So they buried it for me. It has autopilot directions back to Jurdain space, but I'm under orders not to change the pre-set navigation plan."  
  
"That's ok, because I'm changing it." wisely answered Ryoko.  
  
"I guess that's ok." Using her cube, she turned a couple of segments. In an instant, the space hatch flew off its hinge, high into the air dropping with a wet splash on the far side of the lake.  
  
"Oops...Did I do that?" commented Mihoshi.  
  
"Yea, you did. Wait here, I'll go get it..."   
  
"Fool..." spoke Ryoko under her breath. "I should remind myself to fly that thing." as she flew across the lake.   
  
After retrieving the door, it took only a few minutes at the navigation computer for Ryoko to become thoroughly pissed off. The computer, mounted along the side of the cockpit, wouldn't deviate from its arranged flight plan, since it was under 'Mihoshi alert.'   
  
"This isn't like Ryo-ohki at all!" Eyes steaming, she powered up and shot a few times around the navigation monitor, letting it fall out until it hit the ground. The screen went static, no longer attached to the computer it had become temporary disabled. "Well, that takes care of that..."  
  
"What did you do that for, Ryoko?" asked a rather confused Mihoshi, looking over the separated damaged screen. "You know that all the navigation controls are in there as well...if we don't use that, I can't fly this ship."  
  
"Oops..." Ryoko, flushed with frustration, straightened her collar and tightened her stomach in. "Well, you want to save Tenchi, don't you?"   
  
"Uh-huh. I guess your right." nodded Mihoshi.  
  
"Yea, that's right" Wow, thought Ryoko, and I almost poked a hole through the side of the ship. I've got to be careful about wearing these three gems around...  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Not waiting for Mihoshi to finish prepping her ship, Ryoko flew off to the Masaki house. Finding Sasami along the path in front of the house, Ryoko landed near the dock.   
  
"Hey..." she yelled, her hands in a bugle shape around her mouth to the approaching Sasami from down the hill.   
  
"What is it Ryoko?" asked Sasami, her hands full of scrolls and other wooden objects d'art.   
  
"Come here, Sasami. I need to talk to you." Ryoko leaned down close to the ground; she motioned with her finger for Sasami to come closer to her.  
  
"I've got to drop this stuff off first at the house, can you wait a second?" pleaded Sasami, still moving in direction of the house. A few pieces that Sasami were holding were about to fall out her grips.  
  
Ryoko, instead of answering, transported herself between Sasami and the front door. "I'm sorry Sasami, but I need your help. And I don't know if Ayeka knows..." and Ryoko reached down and held Sasami fast. In the process, Sasami needlessly dropped most of her holdings onto the grassy ground, luckily unbroken.  
  
"Ryoko! What are you doing!" yelled Sasami, not necessary scared for her safety, but more to questionably to why Ryoko was acting so strange. An answer never came, for Sasami was no longer listening as she fell under a sudden unconsciousness. With her head down and out, Ryoko still continued to shake her for answers.  
  
"Tsunami! I know you're in there!" solicited Ryoko to the now sleeping Sasami. Still secured closely in her arms were a few possessions of Yosho. And out of pity, Ryoko laid Sasami on the ground.  
  
And instead of a response from the young girl, a smallish white cloud materialized next to her. It grew in size and shape until the familiar figure of Tsunami emerged, sweeping away the heavenly rays she came out of.   
  
"Ryoko, I am here," said Tsunami, in a small bathe of light that was now fading behind her image. "Why have you called for me?" she asked in her hollowed monotone voice.  
  
"It's Tenchi." Ryoko knew that Kagato was setting a trap for her, especially, to capture her gems, to use them to power Souja. "He's the only one that can defeat Kagato. I cannot."  
  
"You must. Tenchi has not connected with the Jurdain trees. He is unable to display his true powers." answered Tsunami. Seeing Ryoko had sparked a unknown tingle in Tsunami's mind. She could no longer focus on Sasami, but her mind was instead drawn to look at the former space pirate.   
  
Tsunami continued with her thoughts from before. "I am sorry Ryoko, I cannot reveal myself without the protection of the one who can transform materials. There is too much danger."   
  
Tsunami unrelenting scrutinized Ryoko's reactions. How strange, thought Tsunami, to see Ryoko out of place with the rest of her extended family. With casual observing, Tsunami had been recently been unable chart her family and friend's eternal path. Still, direct confrontation was to be avoided at all cost, for she was still very vulnerable to Kagato's powers.   
  
Tsunami had waited a long time for an opportunity to presented itself. At last, a chance... Here, deliberated Tsunami, was Ryoko. No other humanoid contact around. A chance, she had to see the path of the future. A perfect time to gain perspective with a look at Ryoko's memory.   
  
Tsunami continued to dive deeper and gaze. And via staring into the space pirate's eyes, she felt herself lead deeper into Ryoko's soul.  
  
Slow to converse, Ryoko feared her actions were going nowhere. Not knowing Tsunami true intentions and with little choice, she forced the issue onto Tsunami, grabbing onto her physical form with the power of her three gems. "If you do not help me," Ryoko charged, "then Tenchi will die. Then you forget about ever revealing yourself!"  
  
Tsunami saw so closely into those demon burning eyes memories from another place. And it spoke of answers. Not that her destiny was sealed, but seeing into Ryoko's eyes had revealed much of her own past. And from those memories, Tsunami looked inside at her own expectations for conflicting counters to Ryoko's own truth.   
  
She could find none. For Tsunami could no longer look down the eternal path and guess the next course of action. Her fortune it seemed, rested in the hands of Ryoko. Thus, turning up toward her caller, she told Ryoko of her will.   
  
"Very well. I will do as you asked." Tsunami continued to gaze at Ryoko, still numb to the answers that lay in view. Shocked never less, Ryoko released Tsunami from the grip of the gems. And nodding her head in agreement to Ryoko, Tsunami dematerialized from sight.  
  
Tsunami's mind for once did not think about her children trees, her Jurdain kinsmen, for even of Sasami. It no longer had consequences of her meaning. Her fate wasn't necessarily sealed, but it very much destined to change sooner than later.   
  
As a goddess, she had seen the unbelievable, been part of the unimaginable. The waterfalls of T'kril. The trees and woodlands of ancient Jurai. The mountains of Capitkin IV. The Oceans of Sear-Neas. Countless planets, endless civilizations.   
  
All that aside, nothing had prepared her for what lay at her feet. For while looking into Ryoko's eyes, Tsunami saw that her truth lay between dreams and reality.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	4. I Have Visitors, How Nice

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
==========================================  
Chap 4 - I Have Visitors, How Nice  
==========================================  
  
  
Ayeka, in her battle garb, looked into the starry space as they left the orbit of Earth. Mihoshi, in her GP armor and sitting in her navigating chair, was steering her ship on the view outside her cockpit window. Besides her was the smashed navigation computer. Ayeka was somehow thankful that Ryoko had smashed it to bits, it had not forced them to head for Jurdain space instead. Mihoshi was quietly humming a rather peaceful tune, she seemed to be rather oblivious to the danger they all approached.  
  
Ayeka also noticed Ryoko standing behind her, she had morphed into a striking set of red and black armor. The gems that she held in her wrists and neck dimly throbbed with red power. The small laces in her outfit threatened to burst open, as if they were holding in water. Ayeka had guessed that Ryoko hadn't worn her shape in quite a while, it looked a bit saggy to her. It certainly didn't look like Ryoko was the active type, a clear example came to light as she arched her back and let out a not so peaceful yawn.  
  
They had left Yosho, Sasami, and the Jurdain guardians back at the house. She was sure that her brother would protect her younger sister with his life. Sasami was too young to get involved with something that could mean the end of her life. Still it had taken an extra set on convincing orders for the loyal logs to leave her side, much less leave with her former enemy.  
  
As for herself, her stomach was knotted even more than she could even imagine. Here she was, with an inept GP officer and her most powerful opponent in cahoots to rescue the man of her dreams. In these last few months, with feeling of strandedness and loneliness, Tenchi had been there for her. He had first been her friend, her researcher, and now much more. Though they have expressed their feelings for each other, their actions hadn't been complete.   
  
It was still the feeling of being with such a common man that drove a stake into the middle of their relationship. Not her now, but in her dreams. When she introduced Tenchi to her father and mother. To Funaho and Masaki.   
  
But the recent news of discovering that Katsuhito was her brother, meant that true royal blood did flow through the veins of her love, Tenchi. Her dreams meant little for the reality that would follow. The news made for a hopeful future.  
  
"So, are we ready?" asked the impatient voice behind her. Ayeka turned to see Ryoko cracking her wrists and stretching her arms out.  
  
"Uh-huh." answered a rather calm voice from the cockpit chair.  
  
"Do you think this crazy scheme of your is going to work, Ryoko?" questioned Ayeka.  
  
"Well, do you have a better idea?" Ryoko charged back.  
  
Ayeka clammed up at Ryoko's response. There was not much else to wait for.  
  
"Ok, there's the Souja. Let's do this." commanded Ryoko as they all saw the massive craft up near Earth's moon.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
He was patient. It was one of the traits that he did indeed so master so well. The giant viewscreen in front him told of a simple picture, of A simple GP shuttle heading towards his unbeatable craft Souja. A viewscreen that had cost him over 100,000 Jurdain credits to a couple of thieves from the Albinkin system. Installing it had taken over a week. It was worth it.  
  
Actually, toying them with his new sophisticated playthings was a good idea. All he needed were those indestructible gems, therefore all he needed was Ryoko, dead or alive. So what if her body was done in, after all those gems were indestructible. Then the power of Jurai, the power of Tsunami, was his for the taking.  
  
Trenching on the deck of the most powerful of ships had many rewards. The builder, his hostage, built this vessel to be fully automated. She had made sure it required no crew and no need for maintenance. And now he controlled it with his mind. How easy is was.  
  
As for himself, the luck of finding his other lost plaything, Ryoko, on such a backwater planet with the princess of Jurai and her dear brother was almost too good to be true. He had been distracted at his mission, for almost as long as Ryoko had been missing. But not everything had turned out perfectly: releasing Ryoko had been a mistake, her guile had used his body and energy to escape. Somehow, the master key had been poisonous to his touch, though Kagato could not fully understand why.   
  
He looked back behind him, behind his organ and stage. Wrapped in white sheets of fiber around one the pillars was Yosho's grandson, Tenchi. He was still unconscious, the gash in his head slowly dripped blood down this front. Yes, Kagato thought, stealing this earthling boy was perhaps his easiest move yet. He had no powers. And they cared about this pawn, so they came for him. How wonderful. It was time for the show to begin.  
  
Kagato walked up to his latest hostage, quickly releasing the fiber bonds with mind. Without the support, Tenchi's body fell onto the cold floor with a sickening thud, the fall waking his aching body from its slumber.  
  
"I see you're awake, boy. Now get up." Kagato came around from the other side the column, shuffling his feet. "It's time to see your friends die."  
  
Tenchi, on one knee, slowly got up and looked into the burning eyes of Kagato. His head still cut, he ripped his left shirt arm and wrapped it around his head, covering his wound. "What do you want, Kagato."  
  
"Don't even try anything." said Kagato, pointing to the viewscreen. "It's about time you learn of my services."  
  
"I will fight you, Kagato." said Tenchi, definitely. "I will not let you hurt Princess Ayeka and the rest of the girls."   
  
"You have no powers, boy." flashed Kagato, coming closer to the standing Tenchi. He flashed his energy sword on, holding to the throat of Tenchi until he could see the glow of the weapon against Tenchi's sweating skin. "I see how well you are, you don't seem to shiver and shake like the rest of my victims. Yosho has raised you well."  
  
Undiluted by Tenchi's tactics, Kagato extinguished his energy weapon, slid away and sat down at his organ. "In a few moments..." he said, under his breath. "See your friends approaching? Watch them suffer. I am only interested in that pirate Ryoko. The others can endure the cold feeling of space..." spoke up Kagato as he began to play somber, chilling cords from his organ.   
  
Tenchi waited patiently, looking at the screen at the approaching GP ship that was Mihoshi's. It's most definitely a trap and I'm the bait, he thought. What a way to end up. I feel like fish food. And he for once, felt useless and barren. Kagato's music was not helping his spirit.  
  
"It's time." announced Kagato, licking his lips between chords. Souja, reacting to Kagato's mind, creaked with power, reconfiguring itself into an attack position. At the same time, its secondary guns opened, coming into focus of GP ship. The first few shots missed completely, but the next few barrages soon struck the outer wings of the GP ship, causing it to excessively smoke.  
  
Stopping his masterful tune, Kagato looked ever so much closer at the screen. "And now boy, you will see the power of this vessel." And at a drop of hat, Souja's main cannon fired a lightening licked ball of red energy toward the advancing enemy.  
  
Tenchi could only look up at the screen at the fiery sun-like ball approach his friends. It look like the poor ship would only absorb a fraction of the energy, the Earth would serve as a convenient backstop. There was nothing to do except wait.  
  
But just before Souja's shot could hit, the blast battered into an invisible wall of space. It compressed itself into a flat pancake and scattered out into many directions, letting space absorb most of the energy in plumes of red and yellow. It was only a split second after that a Jurai ship materialized in front of them, unmarking the ten ivory bows of its hull.  
  
"Tsunami! I should have known!" Kagato jumped out of his chair and roared as he raced closer to the viewscreen, his eyes and senses distracted from everything else. "How can it block so much power!" The Jurdain flagship immediately unleashed a barrage of weapons fire that the Souja was immediately not ready for.  
  
"Aaagh," yelled Kagato as the deck shook, sending Tenchi reeling onto the cold gray floor. Kagato, still floating and balanced, barked out orders to his ship. "Reinforce our decking to the bow of the ship. Merge our layers into one and move us into the ethereal plane." Good, thought Kagato, that would give his ship double the reinforcement while maintaining its own weaponry.   
  
Secondary shots from Tsunami rang through the hull of the now reinforced Souja. Usually the firepower would hit and engage the hull. But by hiding most of Souja into another dimensional plane made it difficult for Tsunami to find its target. Meanwhile, Souja's guns were starting to peel away at Tsunami's ten shields. It was only a matter of time.  
  
And then, Tsunami stopped firing. Not wanting to hurt her most prized icon, Kagato mind-linked Souja to halt as well. Tenchi, relieved at the silence, came out to take a look at the viewscreen.  
  
"What is going on?" asked Kagato, staring distastefully up at the monitor. A few more seconds of silence were finally answered by the sudden shattering of metal and steel from behind him. A sudden gust of smoke and wind from the rear of the ship signaled something very different. The ship lurched, losing gravity distortion for a few seconds before re-balancing itself.   
  
This time, Kagato unexpectedly stumbled to the ground. Screeching sounds of breaking metal made him look up. His brand new viewscreen had suddenly released itself from its weak hinges, as it fell on his spread body. Kagato could only think how much pain was he was going to dish out to those pirates if he ever saw them again.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Amazing herself to no degree, Ryoko got up from the cold iron floor after their purposeful conversion into the ethereal space. Popping literally inside of Souja's ship had been hard enough. The cavernous room they were in was bruised and battered; it was now mostly shaped in the indented form of Ryo-ohki, except where her spiked wings had penetrated into other decks of Souja.   
  
"mew..." rang poor Ryo-ohki, now in cabbit mode. She was still shaken up from her latest trip. She had black and blue bruises covering her body from head to toe.  
  
"I'm sorry Ryo-ohki." answered Ryoko, looking down at her furry companion, very worried for her and her ride home. "But it was only way to get here. We would have never made it here without your help."  
  
"Meya!" smiled the worn cabbit due to the compliment from its master.   
  
"Waaaa! Give me my cube back! It's not fair that you had to do it! I would have gotten it eventually," screamed a very upset Mihoshi. She made several futile swipes to take the dimensional cube away from Ayeka, who was actually recovering from the rough transition trip as well. Only ego bruised from her un-lady like landing, Ayeka quickly recomposed herself.   
  
"OK, here you go" answered Ayeka, dropping the cube back to Mihoshi. "But I seem to understand this thing better than you do."   
  
"Hmmp," as the GP police officer took her cube, swiping it from Ayeka's hand. Mihoshi quickly morphed it back into a white furball and placed it on her uniform belt.   
  
So far, thought Ryoko, they were getting out of this alive. It was only a couple of years ago, in another time, that herself, Ayeka, and Tenchi had fought Kagato, defeating him.   
  
That fight from so recently gave Ryoko a bit of insight into Kagato's wishes so far. First, from seeing the little GP ship, defenseless, coming his way must have awakened Kagato's side for playfulness. Operating the detached navigation controls, Ryoko steered the GP ship closer from their hiding spot on the Earth's moon. Sill, the Souja lay in waiting, like a cobra coiled and ready to strike.  
  
Now that Tsunami was visible and vulnerable, Kagato could not avoid delays as Tsunami was too much of a temping target. Still, using Tsunami as a distraction card had given her presence away. Ryoko had been very persuasive that the goddess should follow her plan.   
  
Still, the three of them had barely enough time to sneak up to the Souja with Ryo-ohki. Immediately after overlapping in space where Souja's former physical self had been, Ryoko proceeding to shake Mihoshi of her dimensional cube. After a few tense moments and a scuffle with Mihoshi, Ayeka managed to pick up the now lost cube from the floor and jump Ryo-ohki into the ethereal plane. So far, so good.   
  
"Ah, I see I have visitors. How nice." Not good, thought Ryoko. They weren't even all settled when Kagato approached, silently, gutturally laughing in their direction. Besides a few rips in his cape from the last couple of skirmishes and one lightly skinned hand, Kagato still looked intimating as hell.  
  
"Tenchi!" exclaimed Ayeka as her lover rounded the corner after Kagato. Both of his sleeves from his morning tunic were slashed and missing, there were blood soaked wraps around his head and thigh. Physically in bad shape, Tenchi was definitely alert and walking around.  
  
"Tenchi!!!" wailed Mihoshi.  
  
Ryoko saw Tenchi, but a ray of energy from Kagato distracted her long enough. She could see Tenchi's eyes light up as the blast hit her, throwing her back to the far wall. The wall caught her, preventing her body from doubling over and flattening against the solid floor. Grimacing in pain, her suit smoldering a fine black cloud, Ryoko rematerialized to her feet. No longer, Ryoko thought, will that creature Kagato take advantage of me.   
  
Powering up the three gems, Ryoko shot herself as a projectile with lightening force. Wind blew and energy increased, Tenchi and the others were blinded from the wave of energy, and thus fell back. Ryoko struck into Kagato's body, he never had a chance to phase his physical self out of existence. As Kagato fell, he curled in pain, feeling for his lower half. Still conscience, energy swirled into a small cloud of dust as he dematerialized thought the floor.  
  
Ryoko, now red hot for Kagato's bleeding heart to be served on a platter, struck at the deck plating where Kagato's midsection had once been. Sticking her hand thought well past her elbow, Ryoko took a huge swipe into the deck. She peeled back the two-inch steel plating with ease like a skin to an orange.   
  
"I'm going after him. You know what to do," announced Ryoko as she looked over at Ayeka. Before the princess could object, Ryoko dived into the black-fill hole she had just formed.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"So, where are we?" asked Tenchi. He was defiantly feeling better now that the girls had rescued him. Sort of. "Are we going home?"  
  
"Ryoko directed us to go this way." pointed Ayeka as they stormed down the long dim hallway.  
  
"Are you sure we shouldn't be going that way?" pointed Mihoshi, to a passage that led off to the right.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure..."  
  
The three of them turned a corner to discover their goal. Encased in a clear rectangle of quartz was a young girl of perhaps 14 years old, with long brazen red hair. Covering her chest was a golden crest of two birds intertwined. With her eyes closed, she was standing at peace.  
  
"Umm, is that her?" barbed the blond. "Ooh, I just love those ancient outfits!"  
  
"I believe that is her." Ayeka closed her eyes, focusing her energy onto the cellulite walls as a small ring of logs engaged it around in several hoops of energy.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
The chase was fun indeed, even if he was the pray. Not so much by hiding behind some of Souja's engine equipment, but staying out of view of his current opponent, Ryoko. She was too powerful right now, she could easily liquefy his physical body, then slam what was left into pulp and more.  
  
Kagato's thoughts spirally delighted, he continued to pave his later goals into accomplishments. It had been more than a calculated plan to get Ryoko aboard his flagship. Now that Ryoko was following his, it would be long until she was in the exact spot to strike back.  
  
His dreams stopped as the dimly lit engine room suddenly brightened with the glow of red. The rest of the lights weren't on nor working, the room hadn't had the presence of a mortal in quite some time. Still, mounds of dust and soot lined the ever-present humming equipment and green-glowing monitors. Ryoko more than strolled into the room, she literally lighted up the place.   
  
With power that pulsed and breathed from her wrist and neck, Kagato imagined that in some worlds they might have viewed her as an angel, sent down from the gods to help them. But seeing those demon eyes and fangs, along with the presence of untapped power would have scared even the tamest of souls.  
  
Ryoko quickly scanned the darkened engine room for her former suppressor. Her gems shined an eerie glow off the glass monitors, dust in the screen caused red energy to hazily cascade out. All the equipment was making her job very complicated at the moment.   
  
Kagato blew his nostrils out, collecting the strength for his upcoming assault. A small bit of dust popped up into the air. It was here, more than 2,000 years ago where he had repeated the action already once done.   
  
He remembered the delight in looking down at Ryoko tortured body that first week. Gashes and deep wounds in her body. A face drawn in, her skin stuck to her life it had been glued and shellacked into place. She screamed for hours at a time. At the lost of her energy, at the loss of part of her mind.   
  
He coaxed Washu into wiping Ryoko's mind in order to save her sanity. It had been almost an accident on how she had insured herself. Too painful to ever remember, Washu struck the memories from her daughters mind as well as her own. Including how Kagato had once captured Ryoko. Alas, a thoughtless game once ago had provided his answers for collecting the gem energy.  
  
He lurched near the ground, in search of his goal. And unscrewing one the intake values that led directly into the warp core, the released hose licked with dark shaded energy. The blue and white tube, about two inches round, was quite flexible as it twisted silently like a cobra, still attached by its tail.   
  
The warp core acted as suction, Kagato felt the immediate drain of his free-flowing energy as tingles ran down his arm to the intake that was once attached to its massive batteries. He could see his flesh almost boil away furiously, lines of pure fine silk energy that streamed themselves out of his skin and into the now open vacuum. Putting his hand near the intake, he could feel as well as see flesh almost drawn out of him and disappear. Kagato looked down at his left hand which he had lost so recently, losing skin and muscle was just part of the process again. And he smiled, not just at the stripping pain but at the sheer horror of the effect it would have on Ryoko and her gems.   
  
Grasping the hose near the nozzle with his now stripped hand, it no longer drew energy because Kagato could no longer feel his arm below his elbow. Sucked dry of power, his arms now hardened and stiff. Only this near could Souja's core accept a direct connection with the gems, sucking them dry in minutes. With the core that breathed on the everlasting and intoxicating power of the gems, there would be no way to stop him.  
  
All of Kagato's movements had raised quite a few dust clouds into the air. Ryoko, sensing movement and knowing her pray, struck quite quickly in Kagato's general area, firing with both hands large balls of energy.  
  
"Good show, Ryoko. Now come and get me if you can." dared the voice of Kagato.  
  
"Yea, that's right. I'm finishing you off once and for all." spat Ryoko. In response, she dived behind the counter where Kagato surely lay in wait.  
  
But he was not there. Pissed as hell, Ryoko hastily fired energy shots in every direction. Equipment went flying. Tiles and steel fell from the high ceiling. Huge amounts of dust was released into the air, chocking the cramped view for Ryoko.   
  
"I'm afraid ever with all that given power, you can't seem to find me." Kagato was doing was he did best; toying with his enemy. "I see how your mind will always be primitive, Ryoko. Such a pity."  
  
Shooting random shots in all directions just infuriated Ryoko even more since none for them could drive Kagato out of hiding. His voice seem to come from everywhere, the reflective walls hid his true position very well. It was never a good idea to piss off the pirate demon, therefore it was definitely not a good idea to mess with one that could poke holes through the hull like a hot knife through butter.   
  
And Kagato laughed. He was having the time of his life and knew it. He also knew he was very close now. Indeed.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko was in no mood for mind games. Tearing though half the ship had been one thing. But the games were starting to tire her mind as well as her reflexes. She urged to corner her long time master and finally strike him down.   
  
The last time they met, Ryoko had been able to complete her due because Ayeka was in the same room and might have been killed by an irregular blast. This time, the only reason Ryoko had not just torn though the ship like a total savage is that she knew the rest of them were on board getting her mother out of stasis. Kagato was her job now, the three gems just made her power much easier the handle and fiercer to control.   
  
Still, playing this most recent cat and mouse game had really ticked Ryoko off. Shooting energy balls in all directions, Ryoko was sure that the crispy form of Kagato would throw himself at her feet for mercy. She was close to unbeatable. With no ego checks to stop her, dust and debris soon littered everywhere.   
  
She lost it when Kagato laughed. Throwing equipment around like cars in a tornado, Ryoko blazed a path towards where she thought Kagato's sickly laugh originated. She proceeded without caring, without danger. A few more panels blew to smithereens as Ryoko let out a few more balls of energy.  
  
Suddenly, a shadow of white surprised her, popping up from behind a nearby panel, under twenty feet from herself. The dust had hidden the face, but Ryoko had seen enough of the evil smirk to know who it was.  
  
"Kagato!" she roared. With both hands up, she fired massive energy bolts toward the surprising figure. But they didn't strike Kagato, instead they 'disappeared' as if the hand of god as swiped their existence away. Not pondering what had happened, she charged, lighting a path of fire behind her.  
  
As Ryoko came closer, a sudden force swung her balance out of control. She could see Kagato bracing for her impact, but his hands held firm onto a tube. As if Kagato were capturing pray, he seemed to smack his lips in excitement. Off balance, Ryoko spindled in the air now out of control. Her body turned sideways facing perpendicular yet she fell forward toward Kagato.   
  
It all happened in a flash. As soon as contact was made, her own body burned without fire. She realized that the tube was sucking the very life force from her body. And for the next second, she was held fast while she screamed in intense pain.  
  
"AAAAHHH!!!" Ryoko's eyed blazed over in fury, with her arms she made strong swings at Kagato's head, missing badly. "...You will pay!!!...AAAAAAaaaa!!" as Ryoko gritted her fangs.  
  
"Why, I am surprised at you Ryoko. I would think that you would remember the first time I caught you." smiled the guardian once more.  
  
With arms moving and legs flailing uncontrollability, Ryoko could no longer respond with intelligent words. The gems, angry about being tapped like the natural springs they were, throbbed with unevenness on Ryoko's body, but they could do no other action. Tilting her head over, Ryoko looked into Kagato's eyes once again with every form of hatred she knew.   
  
How typical, thought Ryoko, to be captured again. The cycle of pain, freedom and anguish just continued without peace. In the last two days, Kagato had struck her down with a single maneuver. As if he had read my mind.  
  
A swirl of imagination entered her mind as her physical body once again fell. Why again, she thought. Do I have a sign that says 'plan to so and so' stamped on my forehead? Am I just plain stupid?   
  
Ryoko had no idea why her movements had been so guessed by her opponents. It was if as her thoughts had betrayed her. Aware her precious energy that had been bled away, she was still unprepared for the unbearable pain that came at last. And again her body joined with her clouded mind into unconsciousness.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	5. Downward Spiral

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
==========================================  
Chap 5 - Downward Spiral  
==========================================  
  
  
Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.   
- Tupac Shakur   
  
  
  
A boat. How did she end up on a boat? The water, smooth yet swift, carried her in a small wooden canoe made of pale wood. Looking down into her hands, she found they held an oar that matched.  
  
Looking up, Ryoko could not see the sun or anything else in the sky. Low clouds snuggled the ground in front of her and along the sides of her view. The fog crept closer, moisturizing her skin.  
  
Looking over the side of the boat, was water blue-deep and unreflecting, with no sign of white caps nor life. It was strangely silent as the swift currents went by, but dared not to try to leave the safety of her boat for Ryoko knew she could not fly.  
  
Land crept into view on either side. Brown land, without possible shape nor form, but they did channel her boat quite narrowly. Quietly, Ryoko snaked her new craft as hillside rose and fell to the left and right. Still, the lack of life and plants made the trip stark of pleasant views.   
  
"Ryoko..." was a whisper behind her. Recognizing the woman's voice but unable to identify it, Ryoko greeted the mysterious stranger with her usual charm.  
  
"What do you want!" she asked back, her voice echoing in the narrow valley. "Where am I? Mind telling me who you are?"  
  
No answer. How typical, thought Ryoko. Now I'm in a strange place and I've got ghosts speaking to me.   
  
"Your memories and mind do not betray you." The voice seem to come from behind her, but looking around her shoulder was no help. There was no one in sight.  
  
"Yea, I would like to know how you know so much." Ryoko shot back, with a determined look of anger on her face.  
  
"We cannot share that with you." said another distinctive voice, beside herself, almost on top of her.   
  
"Embrace it. It is within you." said the first voice. "Look for them between what you are now and where you once were..."  
  
Ryoko was steaming. Riddles be damn, she would not be the fool that followed the voices that she could not find. Knowing she could not fly, she started to climb out of the boat.   
  
For having great athletic skill, Ryoko had never balanced herself on a watercraft before. Usually, she used her levitation powers, it had come naturally. But now on her feet, she was distinctively off balance in the skinny craft. The boat took advantage of Ryoko's plight, tipping her over like it was disposing a refuge.  
  
Ryoko, now in turbulent water, realized she had really never learned to swim. Sure, the doggy paddle was fine for a nice beach day, but again her powers kept her afloat. Unfortunately, the water was a lot swifter than it looked, with deep undertow currents swirling against the sides Ryoko was in serious trouble. Deep water called as Ryoko was pulled under the waterline with little resistance.  
  
So, this is how it ends. Again. At least her Tenchi was again free, but she knew that without her help Kagato would at last track them down. Now under the water, she struggled to breathe even though she had never needed oxygen before in her life. How, thought Ryoko, do I suffocate and bleed human blood. Why am I so constantly mortal?  
  
She struggled mightily and drifts in the dark water finally surrounded her. The water seemed to flow faster and stronger around her wrists and neck until her gems that had once glowed with power finally faded. Sucked dry, she no longer had the strength she once had.  
  
The two others watch until the still body of Ryoko no longer struggled underneath the water. "Is there anything else we can do?" asked the first voice, well after Ryoko had disappeared.  
  
"No. You have done enough. Let us hasten her plea and hope that she survives...for all of us."   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"So, where is my daughter?" asked Washu, wiping the excess dust off her white puffy sleeves. "Is she coming to join us, hum?" Washu batted her eye lids Ayeka. It was after introductions to Ayeka, Mihoshi and Tenchi, that Washu could no longer sense her daughter's presence, for Washu knew she would be here to rescue her.  
  
"Who's your daughter?" blinked in Mihoshi.  
  
"Ryoko." Washu stammered. "Don't you see the resemblance?" Washu was becoming a little huffed at Mihoshi's questions already.   
  
Mihoshi kneeled down a bit looked closely into Washu's fiery eyes. "Well, now that you say so, I kinda do see the same wrinkles," pointing to a spot on Washu's forehead.   
  
"Ewwweee!!" Washu covered her face in disbelieve with her hands while her head shook up and down. She hadn't known any children with winkles. Until now.  
  
"Umm...come along Mihoshi..." nestled in Ayeka, as she literally dragged Mihoshi away from the ancient yet brilliant scientist.   
  
"So, what's this normal Earth boy doing up here?" asked Washu, leaning on him and measuring up Tenchi as if he needed a good suit. "You don't seem to be special...but you are kinda cute though," as Washu rested her head into Tenchi's chest.   
  
"Umm..." spit out Tenchi. He could only blush with embarrassment.  
  
"Lay off of him, Miss Washu. He's mine." shot back Ayeka, literally with steam coming out her ears. "We wouldn't be up here if it wasn't for him." Ayeka was plenty mad that the newly freed scientist was already making moves on her Tenchi. She ran over to her love, hugging him. Tenchi didn't attempt to run away, but he kindly accepted Ayeka's new form of affection.  
  
"Gee, I'm sorry..." batted back Washu, who had already been pushed away.  
  
Ayeka had already started to walk out of the cavernous room, dragging Tenchi in his grasp. Mihoshi and Washu followed them as they exited and followed the path into Kagato's main chamber.   
  
They entered from a back exit near the columns. Mihoshi quickly sat down at organ and keyed a few cheerful notes as she sang a bit off key.   
  
Ayeka and Washu were up behind her in a heartbeat. Ayeka started first, "Miss Mihoshi, what do you think you are doing!"  
  
Washu was next. "Well, why don't we just raise a flag and say 'Look at us! We're sneaking around Kagato's ship! Come and get us!'"  
  
"What!" Mihoshi piped up. "You guys don't want to hear 'Mary had a little lamb...?'"  
  
The other girls didn't exactly answer the question, instead they dragged poor Mihoshi out of the piano beach across to the front of the room. Tenchi could only follow silently, shaking his head.  
  
Washu now examined the broken viewscreen on the floor. "Boy, I betcha Kagato paid a pretty fortune for this baby." Other viewscreens showed images of space as one held the fascination of the group.  
  
"There's my ship!" pointed Mihoshi.  
  
"And Tsunami, the most powerful of Jurdain warships" mentioned Ayeka.  
  
"So, Ayeka," asked Tenchi, not really interested in the views of space. "Where do you think Ryoko is?" as he looked under the pile of rubbish in the middle of the floor.   
  
"Over here." echoed the distasteful voice of Kagato.  
  
The group turned around to see Kagato, gleaming with pride, rather unhurt from his latest ordeal. In front of him was Ryoko, her head and arms relaxed, floating in the air just a few feet off the ground. Huge burn marks covered her body, especially a large blocky one on her left midriff.  
  
"Kagato! What have you done to her!" steamed Washu, taking a step forward.  
  
In reaction, Ryoko's head tuned upward. Washu could see as well as feel her daughter's presence in the grip of Kagato. With her eyes reddened and her mouth agape, Ryoko looked distastefully at the group and snarled. She was clearly a prisoner, under Kagato's control once again.  
  
"I suggest that you all surrender." stamped Kagato, admiring the scene. "After all, without your poor Ryoko, you don't stand a chance."  
  
Kagato viewed this as a start to something grand. Souja had just now tapped into the power of Ryoko's gems. He could feel through the link the new energy as it flowed as it had belonged to him. For Kagato knew it was the start of their downward spiral. The path that would lead to their annihilation.  
  
Ayeka wasn't listening to Kagato's words and could only stare back at her love, Tenchi. I do this for him, thought Ayeka. I just hope I know what I'm doing.  
  
Ayeka started her movement to ram ahead and charge at Kagato, but Washu grabbed her rather quickly and held her fast.   
  
"Don't try it. It's not worth getting killed for." pleaded Washu as she pulled back on Ayeka's arms.  
  
"Don't think you can stop me," exclaimed Ayeka as she slipped rather easily away from Washu's bonds. Running and then almost flying quickly toward Kagato, she charged herself to impact him in seconds.  
  
But before she could, a lighting swift pounce from a silent Ryoko blocked her path. With her sword ignited, Ryoko struck Ayeka with a slicing blow to the shoulder. Ayeka's defensive shield absorbed most of the blow, but it sent Ayeka scrambling forwards into an unconscious freefall, only for her body to be caught by Kagato.  
  
"Does anyone else want to play hero?" No one else dared to answer. "Very well, at least you know who is in control..." Kagato dropped Ayeka's body onto the floor without a care in the world.   
  
"Any ideas?" asked Tenchi, quietly to Washu. She could only shake her head slowly back and forth.  
  
Sliding over to the organ, Kagato seated himself down started to play a masterful depressing song full of chords.   
  
"Don't you have something else to play? I'm really sick of this music..." trumped Washu, now standing behind her former pupil. Tenchi and Mihoshi were now kneeling next to a now awake Ayeka, trying to comfort her as best as they could.  
  
"Why yes, I do." Kagato stopped, looked up at the remaining viewscreen and smiled. "I believe it is time once again."  
  
Kagato danced his next song into even lower octaves. Dark piercing chords sung throughout the ship. Hearing the music and Kagato mental messages, the ship groaned as it reconfigured itself.   
  
Ryoko, once levitating and ready to pounce, fell to the ground in a jumbled heap of a coma. Energy sparked and ignited from her body as her precious gem energy was drained away. Levers and pulleys creaked. Washu, knowing what was going on, looked up at the viewscreen.  
  
Normal space has no pulse, it is static and therefore cannot be altered. But the space outside Kagato's ship changed. Washu could see complex currents, angling eddies and swirls. It was not longer neutral, but now under the command of Kagato it looked darker, deeper than before. Space *crawled* to life, for the pulse it was of pure evil. Washu was disturbed to say at least.  
  
"How...could you..." spited Washu.  
  
"Why is was quite easy, in fact," answered Kagato, strongly into the air. "Now that I have all the gems!"   
  
Space, now intoxicated with wickedness, warped itself around Tsunami, the flagship of Jurai. Offering little resistance, the circles of space enclosed the flagship in a dark cocoon. Washu could now barely make out Tsunami, the folding space made it harder and harder to see her. And the wrapped cocoon throbbed with life as it captured her as it moved toward the now ready Souja. With its 'arms' extended and chamber open, Souja took in the trapped Tsunami; enclosing on it.  
  
'Capture Complete' flashed the viewscreen, running a banner along the bottom. Another time countdown started ticking away from its start of ten minutes. It was labeled 'Assimilation.'   
  
"No...you can't..." Tenchi and Mihoshi were now behind her, supporting a woozy Ayeka no her feet. All of them could not help but to stare at the screen that flashed the decreasing countdown.  
  
"Let's go...NOW!" Kagato led the group though a doorway, with now moving but the still trapped Ryoko bringing up the rear.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"Miya!"   
  
Waiting forever, Ryo-ohki had not seen a soul in quite a while. Still strapped to her back was her mission as she waited for her master to return.   
  
"mew."   
  
But as Ryoko's mind link faded from her, Ryo-ohki knew trouble abounded. Based on instinct alone, Ryo-ohki left her post to search for her missing master. She could have not waited any longer.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"What is this place?" asked Mihoshi as they enter a huge domed room that was the size of a small stadium. The barren floor was hugely tiled with black squares, the ceiling of the dome was also large in proportion. The ceiling was made of shapes that could open up like a rose. For they were already in the flower with petals that were already closed.  
  
"Come, you shall see." Kagato let the dejected bunch near the center of the dome. The center folded down to reveal a cylinder of glass about 10 feet high by six feet high. The walls were distinctively cloudy but see-through. The group could see the smoke starting to dissipate in the glass cone top.  
  
"This is the core contents of Tsunami. We shall see the truth now..." The clouds slowly circled up and away to reveal the physical body forms of Tsunami and Sasami. They stood back-to-back in royal Jurdain robes, unconscious yet unrestrained. With their eyes closed and hands in praying positions, they exhibited poses of hope and loss as they slowly turned in their glass prison jar.   
  
"Sasami! Tsunami!" banged Ayeka onto the glass. "Wake up!" Tears streamed down her face in total emotional pain as she almost broke down to her knees. Tenchi could only hold Ayeka, to keep her from tumbling onto the floor.   
  
"It's too late. They're already close to their pure form of energy," explained Washu, as she pulled at Ayeka. "There's nothing we can do."  
  
"No..." whimpered Mihoshi, crying as she leaned on the glass. "She was such a good cook, and a friend."  
  
Ayeka turned to Kagato, still flagged by the enchanted form of Ryoko. "Why did you have to capture Sasami as well! She has nothing to do with Tsunami!"  
  
"Why princess Ayeka, you didn't know, did you." Kagato answered distastefully. He enjoyed breaking the heartrending news to her. "They are joined by life, therefore they were 'polars' on the ship of Tsunami. Once they were to merge later in life. But I don't have to explain anymore because in few seconds they will only longer exist. They will truly be together in death."   
  
"Sasami!!" Ayeka got out of Tenchi's grip once again and banged on the glass in a useless fashion. Ayeka turned around, still crying while leaning onto the glass. "You are a monster beyond anything I know..."   
  
Kagato could only smile to Ayeka comments.  
  
"You can't be that evil to take out a little girl." pointed Tenchi, powerless to stop any of the madness before him.  
  
"When she holds the power I seek, therefore I shall..." replied Kagato, stroking his ego in eminence.  
  
The two physical forms of Tsunami and Sasami continued to fade. The group could now clearly see thought their physical forms. And as more seconds passed, they finally disappeared from sight without a sound.  
  
"NOOOOOO!!" screamed Ayeka as she jumped with pure anger onto the surprised Kagato. Not expecting a blow, Kagato fell flat the ground, still with Ayeka's hands wrapped tightly around his throat. His spectacles, never loose off his face, fell off his face, harmlessly onto the ground.  
  
"Ryoko..." squealed Kagato, desperate for his life. Ayeka continued to pound away at Kagato's face and body with her bare hands, with little result.   
  
Ryoko, still under Kagato's spell, charged Ayeka but was suddenly pulled down by Tenchi and Washu.   
  
"Where do you think you're going Ryoko." answered Washu. "It's time to be punished by your mother." Ryoko, now pinned by the two of them, glowed with anger and bellowed in fury.  
  
"Snap out of it!" yelled Tenchi as Ryoko gashed a sizable chunk a flesh out of his arm. Bleeding heavily, Tenchi continued to keep the space pirate pinned down.   
  
"Enough of this!!" Kagato managed to get himself loose for a second, swiping Ayeka off of him rather easily. She flew untouched, backwards into the air, smacking into the far dome wall and collapsing onto herself.  
  
Souja deck lurched for a second as a small viewscreen near the center controls flashed an ominous sign, 'Assimilation Complete.' The tube in the center now hissed as it descended back into Souja's floor.  
  
"Uh no..." were only words Washu could get out before tumbling to the deck.  
  
Kagato managed to get himself standing up, at the same time he made a grab for his spectacles. He dotted his eyes with a handkerchief as his face was cut in at least a half a dozen places, green ooze leaked from his forehead and mouth. With his hair ruffled, Kagato spit green blood in disgust.  
  
"Now...!" announced Kagato, as if the end of the world was coming. Souja heard his plea in Kagato mind and obeyed.   
  
The deck tiles shook as Kagato was suddenly blazed in dark light. His face and hair quickly healed. On his forehead, multiple black lines glowed then etched into the shape of a fan. His body glowed and changed, it became covered in stark black with layers of black and white edged cloaks above it. In front of him, ten black hawk wings, outlined in fine white now glowed over his changed body cast. Kagato made a grab for one of the wings in front of him, it morphed into all-black sword tipped in streaks of white.  
  
Kagato laughed and just watched the rest of them recover, daring them to come closer. Once his mind had be evil and desiring. But now the ultimate power soaked his veins, he realized he never knew what he was missing. And choked and insane with power, Kagato knew there would be no way to stop him now.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Imprisoned as a mind in a body that she no longer controlled, Ryoko fought Kagato as much as her strength could give. Pain and anguish still rescinded in her mind, at first losing so easily to Kagato, then of hurting Ayeka, and finally of watching Tsunami and Sasami fade away and perish.   
  
But the control that Kagato had over Ryoko was as strong as anything ever imaginable. She watched in horror as the events continued to play themselves out. Once again, she was a prisoner without a body to force her action.   
  
When she had to strike at her love Tenchi, it almost cracked her heart beyond repair. Instead, it enticed her to renew the fight over control of her body. Looking up at Tenchi while still pinned only gave for more fuel.  
  
Kagato, now assuming the energy drained form of Tsunami, could no longer concentrate his control over the gems. He quickly discarded his old powers and assumed the mantle of his new ones. For each 'energy' ran on a different wavelength, it was impossible for them to mix and be combined.  
  
Ryoko, noticing the boundary of Kagato control over her gems fell far aside. It was now low enough for her to assume command of her body once again.   
  
With her eyes clearing, Ryoko found her body pinned down by Tenchi's hands and knees. The intense pain on her left side dulled as the gems glowed once again, healing her broken body instead of siphoning off the power into Souja for Kagato.  
  
"Tenchi..." she whispered dryly while looking up at Washu.  
  
"Sorry there, you just missed him." spelled out her mother. She held her daughter rather tightly as she regained consciousness. Realizing the spell had finally been broken, Tenchi had already run off to help Ayeka.  
  
"Would you mind getting off me, Mom?" asked Ryoko. Washu, too stunned by her daughter's first comment, turned to the rest of the group.   
  
"OK! Who told her!" stammered Washu as she dragged Ryoko onto her feet. She did have the chance to ask any more questions because of Kagato's unfortunate interruption.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"Silence!"  
  
Kagato looked down on the rest of them with pure disgust, at the feeble ones that had once been his enemy. Now that he had finally captured the Jurdain power that had eluded him for so many thousands of years, he wanted to try it out; to give it a bit of a test run. It would be delightful fun.  
  
Reaching up at his face once more, Kagato noticed his transforming power had healed his face to completeness. Admiring the tailor work and stroking his own self-image, he moved onward with his business.  
  
"I see you're all finally together. Well now, what do you think."  
  
"I think it's awful! How could you wear those ugly black clothes!" commented Mihoshi, looking upset at Kagato.  
  
"Mihoshi!" queued in everyone else. It was definitely not time for fashion tips.  
  
"Actually," entered in Ryoko, now standing in her mother and Tenchi, "This tirade of yours ends now." Ryoko looked at her enemy again and again. This time, she swore on her death that she would not be a prisoner in her own body again. "At any price, I will destroy you, Kagato. You can count on that."   
  
Washu attempted to pull away her daughter from the madness she was about to commit. Holding onto her seemed like her only course of action. "Umm, Ryoko, that may not be such a good idea. I think Kagato is a bit more powerful than you are."  
  
"I don't care. Just take care of Tenchi and the rest of them. Ryo-ohki should be around the ship." Ryoko paused to get a reading. "She'll be here soon. Now let me go!" Washu had no choice as she complied with her daughter's wishes.  
  
Ryoko, now ready and free, volleyed a couple of explosive shots that harmlessly bounced off of Kagato's dark hawk wings. In disgust, she charged Kagato with her sword unsheathed. It harmlessly clanged and dissipated against Kagato's dark shields.   
  
They continued their swordplay, Kagato having the advantage most of the time but Ryoko was holding up her end of the bargain.  
  
How can she battle with him, Washu thought. He has one of the most powerful of all energies at his disposal, and Ryoko seems to dodge every danger he throws at her. Washu looked closely at Ryoko, her mind was determined to protect them more than ever.  
  
"Miya!!"   
  
"Oh there you are, Ryo-ohki. Oh, I haven't seen you in quite a while. Good girl." Ryo-ohki smiled as Washu picked her off the ground. Tied onto the cabbit's back was a set of remote controls.   
  
"What is this, Ayeka. It looks like manual navigation controls," questioned Washu.  
  
Ayeka was now finally able to stand on her own two feet. "Yes, Miss Washu. It's the control deck for Mihoshi's ship, of you know...the other ship in front of Souja?"  
  
Washu just smiled as she glanced back at her daughter. She definitely knew what her next move would be. Hopefully, it would be needed for them to escape, not necessary to save their own lives.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"I tire of this, Ryoko. This constant fighting," Kagato pounced his mind while he searched for a way out. He was having trouble getting a upper hand on his latest opponent.   
  
"I will not let you hurt them!" Ryoko stood silently, ready to dish out some more of her anger.   
  
"I guess I have no need for you...any of you." Kagato yawned and continued his statement. "How far are you willing to go? Are you *all* prepared to die?"   
  
Kagato, now entrenched in pure hatred, might had once fired onto Ryoko, to destroy her. But his mind was now warped with intense power. He wanted a bigger kill, more burned flesh, less resistance. So he aimed not at Ryoko, but at the rest of the girls. And he fired.  
  
"NOOOOOO!!!" yelled Ryoko, looking back behind her. Tenchi. Washu. Mihoshi. Ayeka. She was too far away! The battle with Kagato had forced her away from the ones she had just swore to protect. Once again, she had followed her heart instead of her mind.   
  
There wasn't enough time. To stop it. To deflect it. Ryoko flew like she had never done before. And her inner soul could only scream, she knew she would be too late.  
  
"Tenchi!!" Ryoko had already unconsciously made her choice. She didn't have time to grab onto him but only to push him down with her flying body. In the process, she managed to clip her mother, hit a piece of Mihoshi's arm and Ayeka's legs as well. Ryo-ohki managed to scurry away as well. But it was not enough.  
  
The explosion rang as it hit the ground in front of the group, blinding them all. And above the sounds and smell of death in the air, Ryoko could hear the voice crackle of Kagato's satisfaction.  
  
Ryoko looked down to find Tenchi mostly unhurt except for second degree burns that covered his back. However, the locket he wore around his neck that hung low had clipped the energy wave that Kagato had thrown, causing one side to scorch. She looked down at her mother. Washu was also very fortunate, some of her hair was gone and her shoulder was blackened and in tatters. Ryo-ohki for the most part came out untouched.   
  
However, the other two girls were not as lucky. Mihoshi had been clipped in the side, her suit had protected most of her body, but Ryoko could see her blackened and unprotected waist and arms oozed with blood as she gurgled on her stomach in pain. But Ayeka was even in worse shape. She had caught most the blast on her neck and face, most of her beautiful soft skin had been totally burned away leaving blackened flesh smeared in blood. Ayeka was no longer moving nor conscience. Stunned, Ryoko wasn't even sure if she was alive.   
  
"You bastard!!!" In bearable pain, Washu was most alert after the shock of seeing most of her right shoulder gone. With her left hand, she reached across the tile and hit Mihoshi's portable control panel with her palm.   
  
The selected target of Souja was already chosen and commanded. It did not take long for the GP ship to accelerate toward its final destination. Souja's automatic defenses reacted to the GP Ship's sudden charge.   
  
Kagato, still linked to Souja for its power, became very animated as he barked out commands. If the GP ship cracked a breech in Souja's warp core, it would certainly end his own life as the captured energy of Tsunami would be freed from his grasp.   
  
"Fire all batteries and weapons," announced Kagato. The strain in his voice was very discernable. "Stop that ship!" All of Souja's capabilities blazed into space, but it was already too close. Like a dying star, the tiny vessel impacted directly into the upper decks of Souja, barely missing the warp core.   
  
Nevertheless, Souja was now ablaze in fire. Multiple alarms rang in the air. Compound explosions continued to rock the ship which forced the discontinuation of several critical systems. With its engine and navigation out, the Souja had no choice but to fall into Earth's gravity well and plunge towards landfall.   
  
Kagato turned back Washu and the rest of the group. "You did this..." He lost himself as his cloaks fluttered and vanished. The mark on his forehead, his sword, and dark hawk wings faded out and disappeared. Now almost powerless with his stolen Tsunami power, the weakened Kagato dropped to his knees.   
  
"I will find you, Washu..." rang Kagato, his look haggard but his eyes quite thirsty for revenge. "You had better run far, far, away" said the pirate as he faded through the floor.  
  
Mihoshi had already turned herself over, she was straying an instant foam on her midsection and on Washu's burns. They seemed to have made it through ok.  
  
"Help me!" Tenchi was holding onto Ayeka's hand as he looked over her upright fallen body. Her face had already started to crack with splinters of blood. Barely alive, Ayeka coughed to Tenchi's words as she slowly opened her blackened eyes. All of them were now kneeling over Ayeka as Washu had taken charge and examined her.  
  
Mihoshi tried to comfort Ayeka as much as possible by placing her GP jacket behind her head. Holding her other hand, she looked solemnly down at the princess. For Ryoko swore she heard soft whimpering over the ship alarms and bells.  
  
Washu looked up after a few minutes into examining Ayeka. Catching Tenchi's eyes, she looked across without the sight of a single expression. When Tenchi noticed, he signaled Washu with a slight pull of the chin. Washu could only close her eyes as she slowly shook her head back and forth in utter sadness.  
  
"Leave us alone for a second...please." pleaded Tenchi, not moving a single muscle as he looked down at Ayeka. The rest of them obeyed, scattering to the far side of the room.   
  
"Tenchi...We don't have much time." cited Ryoko as they walked away. In response, Washu pulled her daughter away from Ayeka by her arm. The couple quietly continued to look into each other's eyes.   
  
"Tenchi..." calmly spoke Ayeka as she broke the silence between them. The lack of words Tenchi spoke of finally impacted onto Ayeka mind. She realized that this time she would not survive.  
  
Tenchi was visibility tearing his eyes in front of her. He had never realized on what she had truly meant to him until now. Friendship. Companionship. Sharing. And finally love. Only the force of Ayeka leaving him could reflect the true feelings from his heart.   
  
"Ayeka..." as Tenchi gripped her hand with both of his. "I love you...Ayeka. Forever." And he brought her hand up to his lips as she finally closed her eyes for the last time.  
  
A rather large sudden explosion rocked the domed room, knocking Washu and Ryoko off their feet. "Ummm...I think we've got to get out of here." stamped Mihoshi as the small viewscreen showed the picture of Earth getting bigger and bigger.   
  
"Miya!!"  
  
"Come on Tenchi! We need to leave *now*!" exclaimed Ryoko. Leaving Ayeka, the group scattered out of the room, down the way until they reached the tattered and broken room where Ryo-ohki had put them down before.  
  
"Ok, Ryo-ohki. Let's do it!" The cabbit leaped up into the air, quickly forming her crystal ship form. A minute later, they cracked out of Souja like a newborn chicklet escaping from its egg.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	6. A Smattering of Lies

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
============================================   
Chap 6 - A Smattering of Lies  
============================================  
  
  
They were aboard Ryo-ohki, flying in low orbit around the Earth as they watched Souja fall from the stars, burning brightly in the night. Every one of the surviving members had let their tears out in the last few minutes as they watched Souja enter and gleam against Earth's atmosphere, they all watched as they said goodbye to Ayeka and Sasami.  
  
"Tenchi..." cried Mihoshi, now very sad. Instead on answering, Tenchi led the weakened Mihoshi to sleep abroad in one the space cabbit's back rooms. Tenchi was in extreme shock as well, but his hardened face did not show it.  
  
Washu and Ryoko were now alone on the bridge of Ryo-ohki. Leaning down at a monitor, Washu was figuring numbers on the screen. "My projection is that Souja is not going to fully break up and burn in the atmosphere. That craft is too massive. He will survive."   
  
"I don't care, Washu." shot back Ryoko. She turned away from her mother as she tried to concentrate on flying Ryo-ohki.  
  
"Ryoko," as Washu put her hands on her hips while staring down her daughter. "How did you know I was your mom! I never told you."  
  
"Ummm..." Ryoko just blushed. It was certainly not time to bring up her past now. Especially since the loss of Ayeka and Sasami had never happened in alternate timeline. Quite sad yet angry, she replied hastily back at her mother. "I just did. Tenchi told me."  
  
Washu ignited her sword and snuck it under her daughter's chin. "That's not true." Washu was not completely sure that her own daughter was right in front of her. With three jewels, it would be a snap for Ryoko to take her out. At least it would tell her the truth right away.   
  
"Who are you!" questioned Washu.  
  
"I'm Ryoko, your daughter! Don't you believe me?!" Ryoko backed off, pacing away until she could go no further. She refused to strike back, even at this alternate mother of hers. Instead, she sweated beads on her forehead as she drifted away. Ryoko was desperately afraid to show her mother the truth.  
  
"No! I don't!" Washu leaped suddenly onto her daughter, throwing Ryoko to the deck floor with Washu on top of her.   
  
"w...What!" Ryoko was as surprised as ever as they both hit the deck.  
  
"This is for your own good." as Washu took her hand and placed it on Ryoko's forehead.   
  
Ryoko tried to unsuccessfully break the physical link. She could only put up a mental block to keep her mother out.  
  
  
  
Ryoko stubbornly refused to answer Washu's question. Instead, she withdrew as much as she could, deeper into her soul.  
  
But Washu knew Ryoko even better than the back of her own hand. Maneuvering around Ryoko's blocks, she beat into her daughter's mind rather quickly.   
  
But in entering her soul she entered Ryoko's emotional core and thus shared her inner-most memories. Washu felt it all: the pain of Ryoko's plight over the last year. Guilt over the loss of Sasami and Ayeka. The memories began to surface, presenting themselves to Washu.  
  
Of a memory of her with her mother. They were walking out to somewhere on a clear summer day. Besides them, Tenchi was carrying a large picnic basket in his hand and a sake bottle over his back.  
  
  
  
The memories continued to play in Ryoko's mind. The three of them had arrived near the top of a grassy hill. Washu could see an image of herself spreading out a large blanket. Meanwhile, her daughter had easily stolen the bottle of sake with a simple slight of hand and was taking a few chugs from it. The image changed again to show Ayeka, Sasami, and Mihoshi also coming up the hill to join them. Ryoko coughed a bit on the sake when she saw the rest of the gang approaching.  
  
Washu pondered her statement and continued.   
  
Washu breathed.   
  
Ryoko cried inside of herself.   
  
  
  
Ryoke sighed.   
  
Ryoko swallowed to Washu's latest thoughts.   
  
  
  
I know how you feel about Tenchi, Ryoko. It must have broken your heart to find him here with Ayeka.  
  
Ryoko, in her mind, shivered at the thoughts of history that had played in her mind over the last year. It had been nothing but nightmarish indeed. I can't live here anymore. I know this Tenchi...is not for me. I don't belong here.  
  
  
  
To Washu's response, a series of more images flashed in Ryoko's mind. Of her and Ryoko in her lab. The Dimensional Tuner. Washu being erased from existence just before Ryoko was transported away.  
  
Damn! thought Washu. I didn't think it was my fault!   
  
asked Ryoko.   
  
  
  
And Ryoko, with the last shred of hope she had, tore her hidden memories free to finally share them with her mother.   
  
And Washu took in the history of her alternate Ryoko. Tenchi with light hawk winds, defeating Kagato. Of Zero. Of Washu taking care of Tenchi's baby. Of them all on a sunny picnic. Washu realized it was going to take some time to find the truth in Ryoko's mind.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
It was literally a smoking mess. Sparks continued to fly everywhere, small fires lined the room that had once been intact. As he looked up, the ceiling was mostly 'gone', instead blue sky and yellow sun was able to shine through the huge gaping holes in the hull.  
  
Kagato could only snarl. At least he had survived landfall.  
  
Trapped on the primitive world, without the tools to rebuild his Souja, it would be years before he could get the ship off this forsaken rock. And he was sure by that time, the Galaxy Police would chase him down, trapping him on this backwards world.  
  
The only thing that mattered now was revenge.   
  
Washu and Ryoko would pay for destroying his beautiful craft. If he had to sacrifice the people of this planet, even if he had to give up his own life, that would be acceptable for retribution. He had once had the power of an immortal. Now, he was close to earthly as before and hated every second of it.  
  
Exploring the engine room of the Souja was a slow and tedious process. He continued to move sheets of steel with his bare hands. He had to be sure if it was lost. However, when he moved the last fallen girder aside, he was surprised to find the energy containment field intact.  
  
The readings from the monitor showed the small delicate power core still registered as active. There was only 4% shielding left, enough for a few hours of captivity, but it didn't matter. The taken power of Tsunami was still trapped inside.  
  
Grinning like a ghost, Kagato examined most of the other equipment which proved to be fruitless. He was going to need some way to absorb the energy and regulate it. But most of the ship had been destroyed. There would be no way to temporary access the energy anymore.   
  
But he spotted an energy capacitor, grabbed it and strapped the intake wires to the midsection of his body. Grabbing some free 2 inch shielded tubing, he attached the free ends to the capacitor and the power core. He then set values open and with one pull, reversed the magnetic polarity of the energy core.  
  
"Aarrggh!" shrieked the pirate as raw, unfiltered might flowed down the tubing into his mortal body. Arching his back while almost falling to the ground, Kagato absorbed what the power core had once held.   
  
As he detached his makeshift machine, Kagato could feel the new immense power that now resided in his soul. But he knew his living body would not be able to house the energy forever, it was already starting to deteriorate his cells and weaken his heart.   
  
It didn't matter. Like addicted to a drug, Kagato could no longer live without it. Even if it only meant of few smattering days of life, at best. With his unending powers once more, Kagato set out on his mission of revenge.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
"Where's grandfather and my Dad?" asked Tenchi as they arrived through the front door. On top of his head was the resting cabbit form of Ryo-ohki. Behind him, Ryoko carried a sleeping Mihoshi in and placed her on the living room couch.   
  
"Wow, nice place you have here, Tenchi." announced Washu as she came in with some equipment that was once aboard Ryo-ohki.  
  
Ryoko turned away from the couch after she and Tenchi had tucked in the worn-out Mihoshi and Ryo-ohki. "Is Ryo-ohki going to be all right?"   
  
"She's just very tired right now. Let her sleep."  
  
Ryoko walked over to the door of the broom closet and opened it. Expecting Washu's lab, she saw the interior of brushes, mops, and brooms. "Umm, Washu...?"  
  
"Yes, little Ryoko." as Washu came over to take a look. "Well. it looks like a broom closet to me. Let me take a look." as she stepped in and closed the door behind her.  
  
Flashes and sparks could be seen and heard throughout the rest of the house as Ryoko and Tenchi watched the closet door. A moment later the door opened again, this time leading to complete darkness.  
  
"Come in..." registered the echoing voice of Washu. Not daring to turn down the invitation, the two of them walked in. As they stepped down a few steps into the floor of the lavish lab, Washu came over sweeping away the last bit of dust. "So, wasn't that easy, huh?"  
  
"Washu..." said Ryoko. "We haven't much time. Let's get started..."  
  
"Ok, Ryoko." Nodding her head in approval, they walk to the far side of the lab that had been so etched in Ryoko's mind for so long – the Dimensional Tuner.   
  
"It's nice to know this thing actually works. I guess I really should have tested it, huh..." said Washu, as she frowned.  
  
"Umm...what's this for?" asked Tenchi, curious to say at least. Unfortunately, he didn't have much of a chance.  
  
Several rapid explosions rocked to lab, dropping the three of them onto their knees. A brisk wind blew from their backs as they turned around to face their nemesis once again.  
  
"How easy it was to track your energy signature down, Washu. So careless." shook Kagato with his finger. Behind him, the lab door had been literally forced open. The new crooked causeway was now twice as large as the uneven gateway sparked with instability.  
  
"This is the last time, Kagato." as Ryoko stepped forward and flashed her wrists open, her gems glowing with anger once again.  
  
"For who, my dear Ryoko." Kagato again morphed into his Dark Hawk Wing power, his brandished sword lighted his way as he strolled across the lab floor toward his opponents.   
  
In response as she would only do, Ryoko charged with her own sword. They struck in the middle of the room, sending embers of energy flying and excess force sprawling everywhere. Kagato was again very surprised to find Ryoko holding up her end.  
  
Holding onto the portable tuner, Washu knew she didn't have much time as she set to work. Their only chance was to force Kagato out of this dimension and into another one. It definitely would not be easy as she programmed in the calculations.  
  
"What can I do?" Tenchi had resorted to hind behind a table while the two former pirates fought, destroying the lab in the process.  
  
"Just stay out of trouble." yelled Washu as she ducked to avoid a few stray shots from the fight. "There, done." She turned to the action on the floor. "Ryoko!!!"  
  
Ryoko was now having a very tough time. Kagato had her well pinned onto the ground as he forced his energy sword, touching her midsection. She screamed in frustration as the sword cut into her skin. Half expecting to see blood again, she instead leaked energy as it oozed out a bit.  
  
Kagato shook and fell backwards as Washu shot him. She was holding in her hand a lethal looking energy cannon over her shoulder. The blast had managed to distract Kagato long enough for Ryoko to escape. Washu, on seeing her goal met, flung the used smoking cannon aside.   
  
"Now Tenchi!" exacted Washu. Following orders, he pulled down several levers at once. Immediately, blue and green sparks ignited the air with energy. A hinting breeze began to pull Kagato towards Washu and her turner; it almost immediately reached a rather high velocity. Washu was not just a nuisance anymore, Kagato thought. Perhaps I should pick a new target. But he was careless and didn't think of the repercussions as a vortex hole pitched open in front of him.  
  
Ryoko hit Kagato from behind with a couple of cheap shots, they were more than plentiful to drive his body forwards. "Don't you think you can go tramping off, Kagato," she rang.   
  
A few more volleys from Ryoko pushed Kagato over the event horizon of the now larger vortex. He soon realized he was within the grasp of the gateway, and could not escape with his own immortal powers.   
  
Turning on his dark hawk wings to full power, Kagato dived his own body around the whirlpool of space and time. Washu was shocked, she had expected Kagato to resist, she hadn't fully configured the gateway to zap him to another dimension.   
  
Instead, Kagato was using the gravity well of the vortex as a slingshot to save himself. With his destructive energy set to overload in seconds, he knew he would not be able to survive, but with his sacrifice this lab and the ret of the Earth would not live as well.   
  
Shutting down the tuner was her only chance. Running back to the far side, Washu reached for the lever. If she pulled it, it would overkill and stop all of her lab systems, ever her lights. Not even second guessing for a second, she heaved the switch down.   
  
Ryoko looked from once was behind Kagato's back, now flying as fast as she could toward her mother and Tenchi. Explosions rang from everywhere as she avoided falling girders and plates of steel. The vortex in front of her stopped and disappeared as the still spinning form of Kagato raced upwards through the ceiling of steel, disappearing.   
  
"Tenchi!! Mom!!" More sparks flew as tons of steel and aluminum fell of the tuner and on Washu and Tenchi. Ryoko's view of Washu quickly disappeared behind a large sheet of falling metal. She instead distinctively raced toward Tenchi.  
  
Washu's brand new lab was in shambles. Small fires were burning to the left and right. Pieces and shards of glass and electronics covered most of the floor. The occasional sparks from lab monitors and dimmed overhead lights kept most of the room dimly lit.  
  
Tenchi laid on the ground, unconscious from a large girder that had landed on top of him. A small fire was visibly close, it would soon engulf him as well. With the explosions finally dying down, Ryoko quickly flew over to Tenchi, pulling the excess scrap off of his body, dragging him away from danger and carrying his broken body onto a table.  
  
No, not again. Ryoko could not live through another loss in such a quick time. She swore under her breath that this alternate timeline was out to get her. Again. With all her might, she had tried to protect Tenchi and her mother. But doubt crept in once again, her mind conflicted. With each and every loss, she sunk her emotional self lower and lower into the depths of her heart.  
  
"Ryoko..." whispered the now conscious Tenchi. His new head badges that Ryoko had wrapped were already blood soaked, the damage was great because his wounds had never healed from his earlier excursions. With his shirt now torn to pieces, the Jurdain locket now hung torched, bloodstained and lifelessly from Tenchi's neck. Somehow, the neck clasp had broken from the last couple of minutes of action.   
  
"I'm here, Tenchi..." She had just seen this before, as Tenchi had done with Ayeka. She could no longer stand the pain as her eyes dropped tears uncontrollably. It was the irony of it all that made it almost impossible to deal with. She tried to help him, but she knew it would be to no avail. She picked up the locket that had lost its way and placed it in Tenchi's hand.  
  
Tenchi coughed a few times and spoke "I know how you feel about me, Ryoko." The stunned expression on Ryoko face had a confirming ring of truth to Tenchi.  
  
"Only someone who loved me could kiss me like you did...a different time, a different place..." He tried to breathe, but his chest felt deflated. Tenchi's emotions kept his mind still awake and living.  
  
Ryoko leaned closer to her love, looking deeply into his eyes. "Tenchi..." she whimpered. Ryoko could not do much else for him, it seemed that his time was to run out as well.   
  
Reaching one last time, Tenchi dropped the hand with the locket back into Ryoko's grasp. "Please..." Ryoko could only hold on to it for dear life.   
  
Tenchi looked back up at the ceiling as if to say something else. Maybe in some other time he was going to be with her, thought Tenchi. I should be so special...   
  
And at last words came to be. "I love you, Ayeka..." whispered Tenchi as he finally closed his eyes for the last time.  
  
Ryoko looked down at her love. Tenchi was one that truly understood her. He had had discovered life as well as love; even if he had never discovered his true Jurdain powers.   
  
And without the will to live nor care, Ryoko leaned over Tenchi and cried like see had never done before.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Washu was lying on the ground, a few pieces of lab equipment had trapped her legs and other equipment had blocked her view. She had finally understood Ryoko's memories as they lastly impacted on her own life. And in turn, Washu understood her own existence and implicitly why she was here.  
  
The last minute had finally given her the answers she had so long desired.  
  
  
  
But she could see the answer in her daughter's crying eyes. Oh my god, there was no way to explain the depths of her sadness...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Washu smiled with pride. I now know the answer!  
  
Ryoko's mind looked up.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ryoko gulped.   
  
Washu answered.   
  
said Ryoko.   
  
summed Washu.   
  
  
  
  
  
asked Ryoko.  
  
  
  
Ryoko took it all in for she was totally speechless in her mind.  
  
  
  
Washu paused to take a look on what was out there.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Kagato stumbled out of the ceiling, falling onto the cold floor of Washu's lab. His body hurt but he had lived, it was only the thirst for vengeance that had kept his body intact. Multiple green cuts bled from his body, but he did not bother to heal himself.   
  
"Kagato! Face me like the man you are!" yelled Ryoko. She stepped into the center of the room, gems charged and ready to go.   
  
Kagato was distracted as he recovered from the vortex. He turned around toward the space pirate, his dark hawk wings unfurled like giant sails, in his shadow they turned their energy onto Ryoko as well.   
  
"Ryoko!..." Kagato sputtered as if they were his final breaths. "Are you finally ready to die!" He stared down his opponent for the last time. "I do not know how you keep dodging and escaping my grasp." Kagato powered up his numerous dark hawk wings to attack Ryoko, to strike for the last time.  
  
"You cannot defeat me, Kagato, for I have created your existence." Ryoko felt her unconscious mind finally merging with her body and heart. "I can now take away what you call your life."   
  
"Your words mock me, for I will make surely you breathed your last breath!" Kagato reached back with every ounce of energy that was contained in his body. And he released enough dark wing energy to destroy her and the Earth as well.   
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko prepared herself for the deadly onslaught of power. The ball of energy licked of black, death and ultimate supremacy. You exist under my control, Ryoko imagined. You are a product of my mind. I will control you and take you down, Kagato. And her combined body and soul captured the fatal energy Kagato had raced to her.  
  
said Washu.  
  
All her emotion, all of her love, all of her hate, and all of her desires. All of substances from this nightmarish world. All of the false memories and pretenses, it was all created from her mind. No longer would she be prisoner to her own demons. No longer at the mercy of her emotions.   
  
And with one swoop, Ryoko released the lethal shot back towards Kagato. Now white and pure, the power was unadulterated thought from Ryoko's mind.   
  
"NOOOOO!!!" How can she have so much energy! thought Kagato. For if I am the creation of goddess, she must be my creator! If that is true, then my reality is truly sealed...  
  
The raw energy stuck Kagato, completely engulfing his physical form. The dark hawk wings that had protected him from so much shattered like panes of glass. He screamed in agony as his flesh dissipated; his mind was torn away from the body he could no longer stabilize.   
  
At last, Kagato was stripped from existence.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	7. Homeward

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
============================================  
Chap 7 – Homeward  
============================================  
  
  
All the world's a stage,  
And all the men and women merely players.  
- William Shakespeare  
  
  
  
"Hey, do you want to get me out of here?" yelled Washu. Ryoko could hear her mother's voice hollering throughout the lab.   
  
"Coming..." replied a worn-out Ryoko. Exhausted from her battle with Kagato, she lifted herself off the ground and shuffled over to the far corner.   
  
"Are you ok?" With the little strength she had, Ryoko lifted off the steel that had fallen on Washu. A thick layer of dust and soot covered most of Washu's body. The few cuts and bruises Washu had were blackened over with dried blood and soot.   
  
"I think I'm in one piece." Bowing her hair back into a normal shape, Washu took her time looked up at Ryoko. "I never had a daughter who was a god before! How exciting!"  
  
"Mom!" snapped Ryoko.  
  
"Can I run some tests on you before you go?" questioned Washu, her eyes wide like giant saucers.  
  
"No!" yelled back Ryoko. She sighed in exhaustion. "You very well know I can't stay." Ryoko grabbed a hold of her mother's arm and pulled her closer.  
  
Ryoko turned around to the far side of the lab, looking for answers. Tenchi's broken body lay on the table, still visible in the dim light.   
  
I want to bring back my love, Tenchi...please mom...  
  
Washu turned toward her daughter, she reached out and held her by the arms.  
  
  
  
answered Washu.  
  
"But...But I..." stuttered Ryoko, her voice strained beyond her belief.  
  
Washu paused a second and continued her stream of thoughts, now out load. "I cannot help you here. Please. It's hard enough for me to face you as well." Washu was tearing now, her eyes red with sorrow.  
  
"I understand." said Ryoko, flat with pain.  
  
Washu nodded in response to her daughter's wishes. "Ryoko..." More tears fell from Washu's eyes in defiance. She grabbed tighter around Ryoko, looking up into her eyes. "Will you do something for me. I'm in such pain for not trying hard enough."  
  
"Anything." responded Ryoko, petting the top of Washu's red curls."   
  
"Please, try to make up with your Washu."  
  
Ryoko took and hugged her mother for a long time. Whispering very gently into Washu's ear, Ryoko spoke, "I will, mom..."   
  
They broke their embrace and walked over to the Dimensional Tuner. The central node lay on the ground, slashed to pieces from the battle. Most of the other gear was intact.   
  
"I can't send you home right away, Ryoko. The tuner is damaged beyond repair. I could build a new one, but I don't know how long-" Washu looked down at her broken equipment, shaking her head.  
  
"Let me try," asked Ryoko.  
  
She settled and cleared her mind for the task at hand. Then, Ryoko focused all of her thought like a fine crafted lens into the tasks of restoring the tuner.   
  
  
  
Diagrams and schematics flashed thought Ryoko's mind. She took knowledge images and knowledge and projected the thoughts out into reality.   
  
Come on! thought Ryoko. Her thoughts sunk deeper into the design of the tuner. She put Washu's and her own will into the task as it sapped their strength in the process. A low glow quickly engulfed the corner of the lab. It brightened for a second, flashed, and disappeared.   
  
At the feet of Washu and Ryoko was the now intact tuner. At seeing their task completed, they both tumbled to the ground, mentality exhausted from their procedure. It took a few minutes for Washu to help Ryoko back onto her feet.   
  
Washu proceeded to check the rest of the Digital Tuner equipment. "Well, that worked rather well." answered Washu. "It looks ok to me. Are you ready?"  
  
"Yea, I'm ready as I'll ever be." stamped Ryoko.   
  
"Now, stand over here." ordered Washu, as she cleared up her face.  
  
"What's going to happen to this existence once I leave, Mom?"  
  
Washu paused to think of the consequences. She was sure that this universe would not be able to flow once her daughter left, but for once she wasn't so sure. "I don't know. But you know I'd give up everything for my daughter to live again."   
  
Ryoko just smiled.   
  
Washu activated the tuner. Familiar green and blue lights lit the corner of the room.   
  
Thoughts danced in Ryoko's mind. Of the rolling hills of Earth. Of the Masaki shrine, her home. Of Yosho, Mihoshi, Sasami, and even Ayeka. Of her companion forever, Ryo-ohki. Of her Mom, Washu. And at last, of her Tenchi Masaki.  
  
Behind Washu, two more figures came into appearance from a cloud of energy. "Do you think she succeeded?" asked Tsunami.  
  
"She will have to wait until she is home." answered Tokimi. "But I believe she did. As long as I get it back."   
  
The machine, once again called to duty, fulfilled the thoughts and dreams from its scan. And with great energy and pride, it sent its passenger home.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko was again on her back, looking up, except this time it was the ceiling of Washu's lab. The licking of her cabbit had awakened her from her sleeping position.   
  
"Miya!"  
  
"Ryo-ohki, there you are..." Ryoko answered as she hugged her surprised long-time companion. The room was still spinning quite a bit from her trip.   
  
Washu was now looking down at her daughter. "So, what happened to you!" were her mother's first words, but she had her mind elsewhere. Washu had an small extinguisher in one hand and was spraying a small electrical file behind Ryoko's view, trying to rescue some of her lab equipment.  
  
Ryoko didn't really know what to think, but she got up quickly off the floor. But she could not maintain her balance, the shock of an intact lab and of noticing she had only one gem shook at her soul. She fell to the floor in a jumbled heap just as quickly.  
  
"Ryoko!" Washu threw the now empty extinguisher aside and ran to her daughter's side.  
  
"Mom..." Ryoko whispered, her eyes lids barely open as she lay on the floor  
  
Concerned at Ryoko's tone and words, Washu keeled down and carefully examine Ryoko closer. Though Ryoko had a slight shock and a second nasty spill, Washu thought her daughter would recover quickly.   
  
But her mind link with Ryoko told her otherwise. Ryoko was a full boatload of emotions. Washu attempted to dive deeper into the mind of her daughter, and her head was instantly filled with lush memories unknown to her.   
  
"Washu," Ryoko asked dizzily, "how long have I been knocked out?"   
  
"Oh, about ten minutes." Washu lifted her daughter from the floor. "Well done, you have quite a bump on your head, huh."  
  
"Where's Tenchi?"   
  
"At the carrot fields, where else would he be," commented Washu. Something was up but she couldn't pinpoint it. "You really are out of it, aren't you. Well, up to bed with you, I'll put you in the Tenchi's room for now..."  
  
And Ryoko just smiled. She made it, through all the emotion and pain. Relieved as last, Ryoko let herself back into unconsciousness.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Yummmm, thought Ryoko, Sasami's craft had never tasted so good. Even though Ryoko didn't need the food, Washu must have thought a plate of home cooking would help her. And as usual, she was right.  
  
*Knock* *Knock*   
  
"Come in!"  
  
Washu came in to a bedside Ryoko. "How are you, my little one?"  
  
"Umm..." as Ryoko finished off some tempura, "I'm much better, now..." she said between gulps of food, finishing up her dinner. "What do you want?" asked a suspicious Ryoko.  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to see how you were doing..."   
  
"No tests!" shot back Ryoko.  
  
"Umm...", was the male voice from behind the door frame, waving around the side of the door. "Sorry...I wanted to see how you were doing..."  
  
"Tenchi!" exclaimed Ryoko as Tenchi walked in and he walked up to Ryoko's bed next to Washu.  
  
"I got to check on an experiment, I'll be back..." announced Washu as she left her daughter as quickly as Tenchi had walked in.  
  
Tenchi sat down, holding onto Ryoko's outstretched arm. "I was worried about you, Ryoko. I heard the story from Washu on how you got hurt." Tenchi plodded though his statements and he sat down on the bed next to Ryoko. "Are you ok?"  
  
Ryoko nodded at Tenchi's words. "I missed you, Tenchi...I..." She didn't know if she could tell her whole story to Tenchi. Instead, Ryoko could only look up and smile.   
  
Tenchi leaned over to look into the sagging eyes of Ryoko. It was the first time he had ever seen her so vulnerable.   
  
Ryoko was very tired from a lack of energy. The binging of food had finally tipped her over the edge. As for Tenchi, he helped tuck the space pirate into her sheets a bit tighter.  
  
"Tenchi..." were the only whispers from Ryoko.  
  
"Now you get some rest now. I'll see you in the morning." Before Tenchi could shut off the lights and close the door, Ryoko was fast asleep.  
  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
  
Ryoko was laying in one of favorite spots on the roof of the Masaki house. The sun beat down on her skin, marvelously warming her body to a touch. The weather was still a bit brisk, but the sun did help. A lot.  
  
She was again dreaming of the last year's events, at least the last year that nobody knew about. Slowly but surely, everything had come back to normal. She was home, back with the shy Tenchi she once knew.   
  
Ryoko could hear the tiny footsteps from behind her. Her mother Washu had come out of the attic window. She had on a large stylish pair of sunglasses which reflected the long red tails of her hair.  
  
"So, this is where my little Ryoko has been hiding all this time. I've been wondering about you," asked her mother.  
  
Ryoko didn't say a word, she continued to look up into the cloudless sky.  
  
"I know something is up." Washu had removed the sunglasses from her face to look at Ryoko more closely. "Tenchi says you haven't wrestled him out of bed in days. And you haven't got into a tussle with Ayeka for over a week."   
  
Avoiding the words of her mother, Ryoko turned her head away. The memories had been so painful. The loss of Ayeka. Sasami. Tenchi. The fighting with her alternate mother. The discovery of it all. She was definitely tearing her eyes now. Not caring, Ryoko started to sob quietly in front of her mother.   
  
"There...there..." as Washu brought her daughter closer to her to hold her hand and comfort her. "You can tell me, my little Ryoko. What has happened to you?"  
  
"Washu..." Ryoko whispered. She started into her story. "Remember a week ago in your lab..." And Ryoko started her tale for the next hour.  
  
Washu listened to the story carefully yet quietly, not interrupting her daughter. Her face changed emotions constantly, from happiness to fear, from joy to sadness. To Washu, the details of her daughter's story were truly fascinating.   
  
But the emotions that rained from her daughter were full of pain and love, with such hope and despair. It was a torturous story. And when Ryoko ended her tale, Washu took it in deeply, paused for quite a while, chuckled and then laughed.  
  
"Washu!!!" Ryoko was really mad that Washu had misunderstood her story as well as her inner feelings.   
  
"You have quite an imagination, my little Ryoko," Washu commented.  
  
"MOM!!!"   
  
"Come on, Ryoko. It's a wonderful chronicle. I'm sure that you reflected on it for quite a while. But it just can't be true. I checked and rechecked all my equipment. There was no dimensional shift during the accident."   
  
Ryoko could only whimper to her mother's words.  
  
Washu stopped to put her fingers on her chin, pondering. "I mean, I made sure you were special, but to dream like that. Not in my wildest fantasizes did I think you would sprout such a touching story..."  
  
"But..." Ryoko swallowed her mother's words in pain.  
  
"Well, do you have any proof it happened?" asked the scientific Washu.   
  
"No..." said Ryoko, wiping away her emotional outburst.  
  
Petting the hair of her daughter's mane, Washu looked into her daughter's eyes for answers. She has truly grown up right before my eyes. And she didn't even know it, until now.   
  
"Shhhh..." was the soft voice of Washu, soothing her little one as she padded her hair. "I'm sorry, Ryoko." Acceptance had been so hard for Washu. She was going to have to put some of her projects aside for the next few days. There was something much more important to take care of. Like her daughter.   
  
"How about a bath. OK?" asked Washu, cupping Ryoko face via her chin.  
  
Ryoko could only nod her head in agreement.  
  
"I'll be back in a little while now...I have to stop a few projects. Don't want the accidentally blow up the Earth or something like that."  
  
Ryoko snickered at her mother's comments and smiled.  
  
"I'll see you soon." as Washu kissed her daughter on her forehead. She then nimbly disappeared from sight.  
  
Ryoko laid out alone for a few more minutes, complementing her mother's earlier words. Was it a dream? A nightmare? A personal agonizing delusion? The truth hurt.   
  
But Ryoko now knew of her mistakes. She knew of her character, her soul. The time had pushed her mind to the other limits of her emotions. The memories of what she had been had scarred her, so much that she took a hard look at what she was.   
  
And it frightened her. Being in love with Tenchi brought out the true strength of her feelings. Those emotions were so strong, they took her demon body and powered it to new levels she could no longer control. And in a state of reminiscing, she reached into her robe and pulled it out.  
  
The Jurdain locket had loss some of its luster over the past few weeks. Melted burn marks from when she rescued Tenchi from Kagato. A few stains of blood as he had held onto the locket, passing it to her when her alternate Tenchi had died. The locket was with her now, in this place, in reality.   
  
For once, she knew her mother, the greatest scientific genius was wrong. Oh, would she like to show Washu up for once!   
  
But it no longer mattered. Ryoko gripped the locket strongly in her hand, knowing of the path that it had lead her on.   
  
She would never let her demons take over her emotions again. The consequences were too severe. Her life without Tenchi. Ryo-ohki. Sasami. Ayeka. Her mother Washu. The rest of the family, even Mihoshi. It was unimaginable to her. For Ryoko knew she was going to change.   
  
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she slipped the locket from her grasps, letting it rest onto the roof. The locket had been an offering; from one part of herself to another. Now the time came to return it as freely as it had been given.   
  
Laying the locket onto the roof, Ryoko slowly flew off into the now setting sun. It laid there sparkling in the dimming light. Ryoko looked back to see the locket stare back at her...and without understanding how she knew, she also realized it would not be there in the morning.   
  
It was the connection between her reality and her dreams, a connection Ryoko no longer needed. Never again would her unconscious dictate her life. Never. All Ryoko wanted was for that door to be closed.   
  
And she flew like she had never done before, on a path that had never been on in her two thousands years of life. It was a thrilling time to say at least. So full of unexpected pleasures. The future was going to be a interesting time indeed.   
  
Spotting Tenchi from the far corner of her eye, Ryoko could see he was wrapping up his daily work at the carrot patch. And instead of sneaking up to him, she landed softly on the road toward the Masaki household. Ryoko decided to stop by to see if Tenchi would walk her home.  
  
  
~Fin~  
  
  
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Weah - all done. I hope you enjoyed my little story...  
  
Please leave me comments at incantrix@dreamclouds.com. Thanx again.  
  
- Incantrix  
  
  
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PS: reformatted on 08/04/02, for TMFF Awards... ^_^  
  
  
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End file.
